Prayers Answered
by Athene-Chan1
Summary: Quantum LeapYugioh crossover Finished! Sam leaps into our little hero. So why did Yami stick around? Please, R
1. Default Chapter

As I was writing this, I realized this was going to be a lot of typing, so if farther  
down there are mistakes, my fingers cramped!! ;p

  


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Sam's vision was blurry from the leap. He blinked and rubbed his eyes trying to focus before realizing it was too dark to see. He was lying flat on his back, staring at the blackened ceiling.

_What could it be this time?_ He mused to himself. Slowly he sat up, when a sharp jab in his abdomen about knocked the wind out of him. _What the...?_ What ever it was, it was light, but very awkward. He looked over to the soft light of a clock next to the bed. _Three-thirty am!_ The body wasn't groggy, so it hadn't been sleeping. He swung the thin legs over the side of the bed, finding to his dismay, he couldn't touch the floor. _I'm a little kid!_ He hopped to the floor in search of a light switch. Finding one, and forgetting to brace himself, he switched them on, peircing his eyes. As he focused again, he took in his surroundings. The posters seemed a bit "old" for the child, then Sam figured they may just be short for their age. He turned his attention back to the room. Closer observation showed no signs of a mirror. Figured. He'd have to search one out. As he moved, the large pendant swung around, catching his stomach again.

_What **is** this thing?!_ He tried to take it off when a strange frightening feeling over took him. He quickly dropped it back around his neck, deciding he would rather take his chances with the physical discomfort over the feeling he had just experienced. With out touching it, he stared at it, long and hard, trying to make sense of it. All the while unaware **it** was trying to make sense of Sam.

_This is crazy!_ he thought, shaking it off. He wanted a better idea of who he was, or better yet, **what**. Hard to tell with children, boy or girl. There was nothing in the room, even the posters gave no real evidence. He certianly wasn't about to violate the body! He shuddered at the thought, and began creeping out the bedroom door.

Looking up and down the hall, there were only two other doors. One had to be the bathroom, but which? He wasn't ready to run into anyone who knew this kid, especially parents! _Ok, Sam! Take your chances!_, he tried to lighten the mood by making a game of it, _Shall it be door number one, or door number two?_ He slowly made his way tward the one he designated door number one. As he came closer, he could hear the faint sounds of snoring. _Not door number one!_ Quickly he turned tail and ran for door two before waking anyone up. With out hestation, he ran in, shut the door and flung on the light, _Bingo, bango..._ "Oh, no!" The reflection staring back was that of a child, a boy child at least. He blinked and took several double takes before accepting what he was seeing. "I'm a punker!"

The boy's hair was, at best, a foot high and bi-colored. "Wow! And to think my mother flipped out over a headband and 'Make Love Not...'", he stopped himself. Why of all things did he remember this? He caught himself choking back tears. _Stop it, Sam!_ He looked back to the reflection and began to chuckle, "Ok, kid. Let's get you some sleep!" He began to trek back to the bedroom when a strange, booming voice came from seemingly nowhere.

_WHO ARE YOU?_ it demanded. Sam jumped around, readying himself for anything that may want to pounce.

"Who's there?" he continued to twirl around, "Al?"

_Who is Al? Who are YOU?_ it demanded again. Sam looked up and down the hall. No one in sight and the door at the other end was still shut. The voice was becoming impatient. _I'll ask one more time..._

"No, no! Wait! I..." , _Al where are you?_ He began to think for a minute; no one around? He couldn't believe he was about to ask, but he wanted the voice to speak again. "Say that again."

_WHAT?_ it boomed again, and as Sam had feared, it wasn't coming from the house at all, it was more **internal**.

"Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy..." He slowly continued to make his way tward the room, when his movements suddenly became surreal. He was no longer in charge, **it** was. _What's going on? Where am I?_

"I'll ask the questions!", it snapped, "What have you done with Yugi?"

_Yugi? I guess that's who I am._ Sam knew he didn't say this out loud, but somehow it heard him and was becoming angry. Very angry.

"EXPLAIN!"

_Yes, yes, I..._ Stammering, Sam tried to stall. Wishing Al would show up, _I switch bodies with people for a couple of days, try to set things straight and I'm gone! Like I was never there! Half the time **I** don't remember!_ he was terrified this one would stick with him for a while. Also, this didn't seem to be going over well and with out Al, he couldn't explain why he was there or what needed fixed.

"Knock Knock!" Al strode in, relieving Sam, startling it. He was practically glowing in his lime green suit. "Funny, says Sam is here..." he turned and caught sight of the "punk" and flinched. "Eew, you Sam?" he waved his hand across the stern eyes. Nothing. "Hello in there!" Still nothing. Al wiped his brow, "Phew! Geez, Sam would have _loved_ you!" he said sarcastically, and continued his search.

_Al! I'm here!_ He called out.

_He can not hear you, and since I am still not sure what to think of you, I will stay in control._ "So you are Al?" Al jumped back in horror. He had already made up his mind this wasn't Sam.

"You can see me?"

"Of course, I am not blind! You are right in front of me!"

"Then, where's Sam?"

"Where's Yugi?" it snipped back.

Al fell back. It was a fair enough question. He slapped himself and searched his pockets for a cigar, or better yet, a drink. A real stiff drink. When he couldn't find either, he slapped himself again. _Get over it, Calavicci! Play along! Humor him!_ He began from the begining, explaining Sam's project. This thing seemed to understand, he had to, especially the taking over peoples' bodies! "Now where is Sam?"

"Here." he showed Al the "pendant". "And, Yugi... is in Sam's body?"

"Yup. That's how it works. Now if you let Sam out so he can do his job..."

"What is this job?"

Al hadn't thought about that. He only hoped this wasn't going to set back his "hostage negotiations". "We aren't sure. We're working on it."

"I see. And how is Yugi?"

"I won't lie to you, he's frightened..." Al noticed it studying his lime green suit.

"You frightened me too." it could hear Sam begin to laugh and smiled.

"Ha.Ha. Anyway...", he tried to continue, "... most people are facinated. Always asking questions, more than willing to help, but Yugi, I'm sorry, I can't explain."

"He depends on me more than he needs to sometimes." it sat on the edge of the bed, concern crossing it's face.

"So, who or what are you? Strong side? Dark side?" he thought this could be one hell of a breakthrouh in Sam's research. Splitting personalities!

"My name is Yami. I'm a spirit from this puzzle, here to help Yugi. That's all I can tell you." The hard expression faded. The young boy began rubbing his temples and fell back onto the bed. Al approached cautiously.

"Sam?"

"Yea, it's me. He backed down. But he's still here, I can feel him."

"Did you catch any of that?"

"This thing is him."

"Right. So take it off!" he didn't care how _nice_ this Yami seemed, it weirded him out. "I mean, what can he really do anyway?"

"I think he can help."

"If he could have done anything in the first place," he began to sing, "_you_ wouldn't be here!" he rocked back and forth on his heals and tugged at his collar looking as though he had made some important speech. He looked over to Sam for his reaction when he noticed his friend sitting straight up and shaking.

"Al, he's angry! Apologize! NOW!"

Al panicked. This wasn't real! "Ok, Yami! I'm sorry! Really, I'm not used to people hearing me. I apologize." he rubbed his face, trying to keep it straight. Sam calmed down and fell back again. The whole thing took a lot out of him.

"Al."

"Yes, Sam?"

"Do me a favor, will ya?"

"Sure, pal. Anything."

Sam paused for a moment, then sat up and glared at his friend, "Get a dictionary and look up _tact_!" 

"Fine. I'm gone! I'll talk to Yugi more and look up TACT!" with that, he was gone.

_I'm not so sure about your friend, Sam._

"He's harmless, really. And if anyone is going to get Yugi back, it's him."

_I'll try my best to trust him. And you._

"Thanks, Yami. Say, is there anything I should be resting for? School maybe?" it's what he had been looking forward to the whole time; sleep.

_There is school tomorrow. Take the puzzle off, you will sleep better._

"Why was he sleeping with this on in the first place?"

_He couldn't sleep. And I told you, he relies on me._

"Not much confidence in himself, then?"

_More than he thinks._

"I get it." he stretched and yawned, then took one last hesitant look at the clock. "Four-fifty-two?! So I have...", he took an even more hesitant look at the alarm, "til six-thirty! An hour and a half! Well, good morning, Yami!" he took the puzzle off and placed it on the nightstand, getting a better look before turning off the lights. _The eye of Horus? Could he be..._ "Nah!" he smiled, flattened the 'do' and fell asleep.

  
  
~~~~*~~~~   
  


Sam about jumped out of his skin as the alarm began to blare. He quickly reached over to shut it off, when he over shot his target and fell to the floor. Trying to keep the hair from his eyes, he searched for the button. Finally shutting it off, he climbed back onto the bed, rubbing his forehead where he had grazed it on the nightstand.

_Now where am I again?_ he looked around the room resting his eyes on the puzzle. _Damn!_ He tried again to brush the hair from his face.

"I hope that freak in the puzzle knows how to fix that monstrosity on your head. Convincing people you're this Yugi kid is going to be tough enough even with _his_ help."

"That's very comforting." he lifted the hair long enough to catch his friend laughing at his predicament. "Laugh it up!" he gave up and let the mop fall. "So...?"

"Right..." he calmed himself down long enough to notice Sam pointing out his bright orange, blue and yellow attire. "You have a point. Tina told me I should have gone with the red one..." Sam began gesturing him to get on with it. "Anyway, this kid is pretty darn good at a game called..." Ziggy began to blink and squeal. Al gave it a quick smack. "...Duel Monsters! which believe it or not, the boogie man over there has somehting to do with..."

"Al, it's Yami, and he's fine. He's just concerned for his friend or other-half or whatever..."

"A game this _Yami_ has something to do with." he corrected himself.

"Why didn't he say anything lastnight?" he began searching the boy's wardrobe. _School uniform?_

"It seems Yami, and you're going to love this, is five thousand years old AND has what is known to you and me as "Swiss-Cheese Brain"!"

"So is that why I'm here? To help him with his memory?"

"Pretty ironic since there's nothing you can do for your own, huh?" he began to laugh, the cleared his throat and became serious before Sam could say anything. "This is possible, since you do have degrees in ancient stuff..."

"Wait, possible?! Just possible? You mean you still don't know for sure?!" Sam was ready to rip Al a new one when Ziggy began blinking and screaching again. "This better be good, Al!"

"Hey, what do ya know! You have data on this game! You rememeber... no you wouldn't." Al turned his attention back to Ziggy for more answers. Leaving Sam hang.

"Damn it, Al! Remember what?!"

"You've played this before. On a dig in Egypt. This game is as old as Yami, uh oh!"

"Uh oh!? What's Uh oh?!"

"There's a lot more at stake than when you played, Sam..."

"You're kidding? Like what? It's a game..."

"Let me finish!"

"Ok, ok!" Sam continued to try and dress. He figured he should have been asking Yami for help. He got the tight blue slacks up just above his knees when Al's statement shocked him cold.

"Lives. Lives and the fate of the world." Forgetting he had his pants only half way, Sam took a step tward Al, falling flat on his face. Pretending it didn't happen, he turned onto his back and pulled them up the rest of the way. The whole time searching for something in Al's expression; a smile, a glare, anything _Al_.

"You're serious."

"Afraid so. Anyone challenges you, you can't back down. Yugi wouldn't and I have a feeling Yami won't let you anyway."

"Fate of the world? How?"

"Yami is here to finish something that started over five thousand years ago. A game between to jokers, one bent on controlling the world, the other trying to save it. When Yugi figured out this puzzle, he brought Yami back. That's why it was no big deal when you played it twenty years ago. Oh, and there are more like Yami. Keep your eye out for anyone with anything looking 'ancient'."

"Gee, thanks." Sam looked over to the puzzle wondering if Yami was catching any of this.

"These other Yami aren't quite as 'soft-hearted' as ours. They will do anything for that thing."

"Why?"

"You're full of questions this morning!" he quipped. "Anyway, whoever possesses all these... damn Ziggy..." he gave the little computer another little tap, "Millennium items will have power un...un..." he smacked the computer again causing it to squeak, "Unimaginable!"

"So they play this game to win them?"

"Some do. Others may just try and take it. Don't let ANYONE getta hold of Yami. Yugi was very insistant..."

"You got him to talk?"

"Yea, he's opening up. Hey would you believe he's a freshman in high school!? I wouldn't have guessed any older than ten myself..."

"High school? SCHOOL!"

"Relax Sam, you still have an hour!"

"Good, it'll give me time to talk to Yami..."

"And figure out how to get that crap on your head out of your face!" Al couldn't help it. It was justified, people made fun of his suits all the time! "Besides, it'll do no good. Holes, remember?"

Sam stared him down for an apology to the 'crap' remark, Al ignored it. "I'm going to need pointers on this game."

"You do that Sam." Al quickly opened the chamber door. Again he wanted no part in messing with this Yami. "And don't forget," he added, "No one get's that puzzle!" He watch Sam reach for the puzzle, then shut the door behind himself before he had to face those eyes again.

_This is too bizzar! This **has** to be a dream!_ He slipped the puzzle around his neck and waited.

_Sleep well?_

"Thanks, Yami, but no..."

_I'm sorry to hear that. Yugi has a big day today..._

"Again, something you could have filled me in on lastnight."

_Hmm... sounds like someone may need a nap after school._ Yami's tone was rather condescending, then began chuckling. Sam couldn't believe his luck. A five-thousand year old dead guy with an even deader sense of humor.

"Yea, sure. You could say that I guess. So what is this big day?" _Please don't be a game..._

_You know Duel Monsters?_ Sam had forgoten this thing could hear him. This was going to take some getting used to.

"Al filled me in thismorning. Something to do with you, others like you, fate. Fun stuff like that."

_That much I know._

"Then this has to be why I am here!"

_To help **me**?_

"Al said it's possible. I have degrees in 'ancient stuff'." he cringed at the sound. It was like saying 'eye-talian' to an Italian.

_Degree? Ancient stuff?_ Yami wasn't sure what to make of this. Then again, he wasn't sure what to make of **any** of this anyway.

"I went to school for it..."

_Sounds like this diploma Tristan has spoken of._

"Just like a diploma! Uh, Tristan?"

_You will meet him. And Yugi's other friends. Good kids, they will be more than willing to help..._

"NO!" the little body jumped. Sam guessed he must have startled Yami. He took a breath to calm them both down. "I'm sorry, but they can't know..."

_Why not?_

"They have to be convinced I'm Yugi, or I won't leap. Yugi and I will be stuck." 

_I understand._

"Good! Now about this big day. If it's a game, I don't think..."

_It's not a game. And as far as others like me, they are the only ones you need worry about and I am here for that. To anyone else, it is **just** a game. Yugi has a test today. He and his friends have been driving themselves..._

"A test?!" He interrupted, "That's it?" 

"No big deal to a genius , Sam. Even one with holes in his memory..." Al had snuck in again. In a small way it was one of the few things he enjoyed about the job. That and going into ladies... "... but to a fourteen year old kid, no offense Yami, Yugi is a good student and all, but no genius." He studied the expression, making sure it was still safe, "Anyway, we think we're onto something! There is a..." the little computer became temperamental again, and he gave it a quick sharp crack across the top. Sam winced. If Al kept this up, he was going to cost the project more money in hand-held Ziggys. "... fifty-one percent chance you **are** here for Yami!"

Sam shot daggers at the technicolored dressed man. This was good news? "Do me a favor Al and come back when you are at least a hundred-one percent sure! Or at least a hundred percent..."

"Someone got up on the wrong side of the bed..."

He grabbed Yugi's books and began stomping out the door, "If you will excuse us," he snapped, "Yugi has a test. Yami, shall we?"  
tbc...   



	2. Part 2

Wow! Parts one AND two up at the same time! Very unusual for me!  
I guess cuz I wrote this down first! I kid you not, part one was 10 1/2 pages long and I write tiny!!  
This part isn't quite as long at 5 pages, but I still write very tiny! ;p All right! Here I go!   
  


* * *

  
  


They took a liesurely pace to school. With so much going on in his head, it was begining to hurt Yami's.

_Sam, if you have questions, please ask..._

"No, I'm fine. I'm as good as anyone who takes over peoples' bodies and lives gets."

_You don't like your job, do you?_

"This isn't a job, or it didn't used to be. I don't think..."

_This happens a lot?_

"I've been trying to get home for, five years now, I think." it pained him not being sure.

_You have no control?_

"If I did, I'd have gone home long ago."

_You miss your friends and family very much, I can tell..._

"Friends, sure. Family, I don't know."

_Why don't you ask Al?_

"I have and he said it was rules and regulations he can't tell me anymore than he does." Yami went silent. He felt badly for him. Sam stopped to think. He had never had anyone to talk to before about this. It was refreshing.

_Maybe this will be your chance? Whatever drives you will let you go home this time._ Yami tried to reasure.

"Maybe. Right now I just wish I knew more than fifty-one percent why I'm here." he was becoming discouraged. He thought for a moment that maybe, just maybe, whatever or whoever was leaping him around might be... no... but it was a long shot. He began to pray. Pray for a sign or anything that might point him to why he was there. Any little thing. NOW. He stopped and sighed. As he had thought, it was a long shot. He started heading to the school again when he felt a light tapping on his shoulder. He found himself praying again for it to be the sign. Anything but another Yami or even just a friendly game. He gulped and took in a deep breath to calm down. Slowly he turned toward the tapping to find nothing. "What the..."

"HEY YUG!!" crashed through Sam's ears from behind. He had just recovered the skin he had lost from the alarm! He quickly turned to find himself face to chest with a young boy with at least a three foot height advantage. The taller boy bent down coming eye-to-eye with whom he thought was his smaller friend. "Got ya good!" he sang, poking at the tip of Sam's nose. Sam was not amused. The kid took note and backed off. "Geez, Yug! Just a joke! Say, you aren't worried about that test are ya? You studied for days we thought we lost ya!"

_It's okay, Sam. This is Joey._ the spirit finally offered.

_Geez! I'd thought I went back farther and was meeting Al as a kid!_

"Hey, pal? Ya in there?" he waved his hand in Sam's face. Annoyed he instinctivly grabbed the boy's arm, startling him.

"Sorry, hu..."

_Joey._

"Joey. I guess I am a little on edge."

"S'all right, I..." he cought sight of Yugi's watch. Sam could see the color drain from his face and he broke free of the grip, "Oh man! I gotta go!" with out another word the lanky boy took off like greased lightning toward the school.

_What got into him?_ Yami wondered.

"I thought you knew this kid."

_I do. But I don't keep what they call 'tabs' on him._

Sam looked at Yugi's watch, "We still have twenty minutes..."

"The kid is Joey Wheeler." Al chimed in. "He has a couple of warnings for being late. His last warning was **the last** warning. He probably didn't want to take any chances."

"How do you know this?"

"Talked to Yugi..." Al noticed the soft expression fade, _Uh,oh. It's baaaack._, "A little heads up there when you're going to pull this would be nice."

"I should ask the same of you."

"You got me again, Yami. Fair enough."

"How is Yugi?"

"He's fine. Relaxing. A little worried about what could be so bad someone had to take over his body to fix it."

_Yami! Switch back! I have to tell Al about..._

_I want to know more..._

_Me too, but I have to tell him this! I don't have much time, I have to get Yugi to school, remember?_ the expression relaxed and smiled. Sam was back.

"Sam, take that thing off!"

"No way! At least with him, I don't have to look like a fool for days learning names this kid knows!"

Al stepped back, crossed his arms and pouted. "I see how it is..."

"Get over it! I've got something!"

"Spill it! You have seventeen minutes!"

"I prayed."

"Wha.. you wha, what?" Al wasn't sure if he had heard right.

"Remember? I do! We talked about it before! The possibility that 'you-know-who' has been leaping me around to do his job! I prayed for a sign."

"And?"

"And that Joey kid tapped me. Scared the living bageezes out of me..."

Al waved him, going almost insane with the theory.

"Maybe Ziggy is lapsing so badly, He decided to take over!" the more he thought about this, the more excited he became. If all he had to do was pray, this could be his ticket home. "Five years! Why hadn't I..." he stopped and pointed a scolding finger at Al, "You! I listened to YOU! Man, I..."

"Sam, take it easy!" he shook his head. He either still didn't believe it, or didn't want to believe it. Sam was ready to believe anything at this point with **this** experience.

"Come on!" he begged, "Talk to Yugi! Research the kid!" He could sense Yami's agreement, but wasn't about to share it with Al. Then he'd **never** go for it. Sam continued to plead with his friend, and with much reluctance, the door slid open, then just as quickly slid shut. Sam just shook his head and sighed. Sometimes Al could be a real pain. He tried again to start walking toward school, when another thought occurred to him, "Yami? How is it Yugi knew of these warnings and you didn't?"

_He may have told Yugi in class._

"He takes this off in class? Great."

_You'll do fine._

"Let's just get today over with!

  
~~~~*~~~~   


Al skipped through to the waiting room where Sam's body was kept with whatever soul he had switched with at the time. At this time, he was staring at his friend, a fifty-one year old man, with a very confused fourteen year old soul sitting on the edge of the bed, staring at his, Sam's, feet looking deep in thought. He made his way toward him and gently placed his hand on a shoulder and began explaining Sam's theory.

"He thinks this thing is pointing him to Joey..."

"Why? What's wrong with Joey? What happened?"

"How well do you know him? Anything wrong needing put right, aside from his tardiness, that only Sam can fix?"

"I don't know... I can't... I..."

"it's all right. Take your time."

"Well, I can't imaging anything could be so bad he couldn't come to us or his father for help..." he was becoming more and more concerned by the second and like Sam he wanted answers, or out of there, now! He started to cry, the whole thing was a nightmare. Al had never delt with anyone so upset over this. Everyone else was so facinated.

"Hey kid, don't get so upset! It's not like anyone is going to get hurt..." _Al you dope! Don't promise things like that!_

"Okay, but..." Yugi wanted to know more, when Al cut him off.

"Wait, back up! You said friends and father; no mother? Brother? Sister?"

"His mother took his sister..."

Al leaped and punched his fist into the air. If Sam wasn't there for this Yami, then **this** had to be it! "Bingo!"

Yugi backed against the wall. To think he had no choice but to trust this guy. He was a freak! "Wha...?!"

"She took his sister _and_..." he coaxed.

"He hasn't... spoken to... her... since."

"Yes! Well," he bit his tongue. He didn't want the kid to think he thought **that** was good. "Uh, I mean now all we have to do is find out why it's such a big deal they speak and you and Sam..." he wanted to say Sam would be home, but didn't want to get his own hopes up, "Well, you'll go home."   
tbc...  



	3. Part 3

Well, despite the lack of reviews (I mean, the one isn't a review O_o)  
I'm going to continue to have my fun ;p

----------------------------------- 

After the gruelling day of testing, Sam stepped outside the school and collapsed to the top step.

_Ah, Yami! Ya think someone would have given a little warning this wasn't just **a** test but a **whole day** of them!_

_Al says you are a genius, why would this have been a problem?_

_The problem is finding the middle ground; making sure I don't make Yugi look better or worse than he is._

_I see._

_Is there somewhere Yugi should be, or something he should be doing?_

_They usually meet across the street after school._ Yami directed Sam to the friends' meeting place. As they approached, there was a boy seemingly crying on the shoulder of a girl who only seemed to be humoring him by patting his back.

_Tristan and Tea._ Yami introduced.

"Uh, what's up Tristan?" Sam was trying his best to be 'Yugi' like, and with Yami's help it was so easy. He couldn't remember having such an easy time... well, even if he did, he wouldn't remember.

"He's worried about the exams, Yugi." Tea answered flatly.

Before Sam could blink the sobbing Tristan jumped and grabbed him by the collar lifting the little body to his level. "THESE ARE IMPORTANT, YUGI! I STUDIED MY LIFE..." He stopped short and slowly lowered Sam back to his feet, then fell to his knees and cried out, "JOEY STUDIED HARDER THAN I DID!"

"Tristan, these were only mid-terms! The big ones aren't till the end of the school year! CHILL OUT!" Tea grabbed him by the ear and led him to a bench. "Sit down and think about it..." she took Tristan's chin in her hand to make him look at her, she winked and reassured him, "Joey **has** to study harder than you!"

"Hey! I heard that!" Joey picked Sam up to move him to the side, then guided Tea out of the way to clear the way for a decent shot at Tristan.

"Joey stop! It was a joke!" Tea had stepped back into his line of fire and he backed off.

"I know," he walked to a grassy patch, took a deep breath and fell back flat onto his back like it was nothing. Sam grabbed his back and grimaced. "It's just been a long day. I tell ya, if it hadn't been for Mai the geometry would have killed me!" Tristan walked to his friend and straddled him. Looking down at the blonde boy he couldn't help the jab.

"So studying Mai's lines and curves were ya?" Sam slapped his forehead. If there was ever a line Al would kill to know... he looked to Joey for his reaction. He simply looked up at the smirking Tristan, became serious and straight faced answered.

"Sure! They were her notes."

"I give up!" Tristan walked back to the bench and plopped next to Tea, shaking his head and rubbing his temples. Sometimes Joey could really hurt.

Sam sat back and watched. The whole thing amused him. _So fill me in, Yami; Tristan and Tea, Joey and Mai?_

_You're half right. Joey and Mai, most of the time. Tristan and Tea, no._

_Typical teenagers. So, Yugi and Tea?_

_Uh, well..._ the spirit began to stammer and become embarassed, _I mean, well..._

_YOU and Tea?!_

_Really, Sam, this isn't, I... well..._

_Does she know you..._

_No, I don't think... I'm not sure..._

_Yami, I'm sorry. I don't mean anything by this. This whole situation fascinates me._

_I know._

"Hey Sam! Heads up!" Al came in in time to catch the two boys on the ground in a heap. "Tristan said something about Joey's sister and BAM! Oh, boy I wish I had money on this!" Sam glared at Al as Tea stood over the two yelling for them to stop

"Take it back, Tristan!" Joey growled.

"No... way!" Tristan managed to squeeze out as he tried to get the necklace off Joey had created with his arm.

"Tea, what did he say that was so horrible?"

"Well, hello Tea!" Al slid next to her to get a better look.

"Al!" Sam snapped.

"What? Who's Al..."

"Uh, Al, IA'll, I'll try and stop them."

"Yea, nice recovery Sam." Al smirked.

Sam cautiously moved toward the scuffle. The two of them could lift him as though he were a ragdoll, he couldn't imagine taking a hit from one of them. He tried to get closer when a shrill whistle came from across the street. The two boys jumped to attention, "The principal!" they cried in unison, then got a better look, "Oh, it's just Mai." 

"Mai, my, Mai..." Al couldn't believe his eyes. As he looked her over, she was making her way toward Joey. "What a waste!"

"Al!" Sam was a little quieter about his scolding this time. No one seemed to notice.

Joey wrapped one arm around Mai and placed his free hand cooly in his back pocket. Whether he knew it or not, and most likely he did, his body language said it all; he was proud of his catch.

"So what's with all the bustle boys?" She asked as she patted the grass of her man's back.

"Tristan just has a big mouth is all..." Joey answered, placing a kiss on her cheek.

"You're just over protective is all!" Tristan snapped back, trying to straighten his neck out.

"You're both being ridiculous!" Tea finally spoke up, "Joey, Tristan and your sister like eachother! She's happy! GET OVER IT!"

"Hey Sam, speaking of his sister, I have a few things." Al motioned for Sam to try and get away to talk.

_Yami, what should I say?_

_Tell them you have to help your grandfather._

_Easy enough._ "Hey, guys! I have to get going, help grandpa..."

"Gotchya, Yug. If ya get away later, we're goin' to see Serenity today."

_Serenity is his sister?_

_Yes, Sam._

"Sounds great!" Sam looked in Al's direction, the hologram impatiently motioning for him to run. "See you all later then!"

  
~~~~~*~~~~~   


Sam tried to sneak in without Yugi's grandfather noticing. He had managed to sneak out, so maybe...

"Yugi!" no such luck, "How did the tests go today?"

"Great grandpa! No problem! I have somethings I have to do, be down in a while!" Sam said quick in passing. Movement in such a small body was smooth as silk. He easily made his way up the steps and into the room with out loosing breath.

"Ok, Al! Fill me in! Make it good!"

"Joey's parents are divorced..."

"This much I know, Al. So, many parents are divorced!"

"Well, this one's a big deal. You know his mother just up, took his sister and left?"

"Leaving him behind, uh?"

"Hasn't spoken to her since."

"How long ago?"

"Six years, at least. It's why he makes such a big deal over Serenity and invites his friends to see her. She's..."

"In the hospital. Eye surgery."

"Right. So he invites his friends to make it easier to ignore his mother."

"So I have to get them to speak? Erase six years of bad blood?"

"That seems to be it. Ziggy keeps spitting other things at us, and Yugi can only tell us so much. So I'm guessing that's it."

"Wait a minute! What happened to the fifty-one percent for Yami?" he couldn't figure out why this would come up now, but he wasn't about to ignore it.

"We're looking at that too. Could just be a bonus."

"Ok, so let's get Joey and his mom to talk..."

_Sounds easy enough, Sam, but you have never seen them together._

"Could you be any more encouraging?!"

"What? Sam, I..." Al was confused.

"Not you Al! Forget it! Let's get out of here! Yami which way to the hospital?"

  
~~~~~*~~~~~   


The spirit led Sam and Al to the hospital and straight to Serenity's room. Al didn't want to admit it, but Yami was coming in handy. They were the first in the group of friends to show. Joey had all ready been there about an hour.

"Hey, sis, Yugi made it!"

"Hi Yugi! Joey was just telling me about the mid-terms. How do you think you did?" She was quiet, calm and polite. This was Joey Wheeler's sister?!

"I think I did ok. I guess." He made his way to a chair to wait. If he had to get two people to talk, then both had to be there. This could be a long wait, or a long night if she is there. Sam wasn't looking to start trouble, but he needed to know, "Is, uh... well, is your..."

"No!" Joey answered sharply, knowing what his friend was going to ask.

"Joey, really! Sorry Yugi. She had to work a double today. She'll be here tomorrow."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean..."

"I'm sorry too, Yug. I didn't mean to snap at ya. I know how uncomfortable it is for you all, but just know it's appreciated."

"My sweet Serentiy! How's my lovely...huh?" Tristan had burst into the room with a hand full of flowers to be met with and angry glare from Joey. "I didn't know you'd be here all ready!"

"I've been here an hour, ya..."

"Joey stop! Leave him alone!" Serenity had grabbed her big brother's arm before he could move, "Honestly! I don't know why you have such a problem! He's good to me..."

"All right! I don't haveta hear this!"

_Yami, why does he have such a problem with this?_

_I think it has something to do with they are supposed to be best friends._

_I guess I would have gotten upset too if my best friend tried to date my sister._

_I'd be upset if Al tried to date my sister as well._

_Ha! You know, Yami, I'm liking you more and more!_

"Hey Yug, ya wanna get outta here with me before I get sick enough to need the room nextdoor?" Joey stomped out of the room like a child. Tristan and Sam rolled their eyes, and Sam reluctantly followed.

"Perfect opportunity to get him to talk!"

"Al, did you see his reaction when I asked him the first time? I didn't even get the word 'mom' out! I'm just lucky there were no sharp objects in his reach!"

"Yug, ya comin'?" Joey called from the end of the hall.

"Yea! Sorry!"

He followed the boy to the cafeteria. It was quiet with few people. Mostly doctors on break. Al was right. Perfect. He tried to start with a less painful subject.

"So why do you have such a hard time with Tristan and Serenity?"

"He's my best friend, next to you, but what if somethin' happened between us, I couldn't stand her still seein' him. Or what if somethin' happened between them and he hurt her. Then I'd haveta hurt him and there would go our friendship and I can't imagine Serenity would forgive me."

"But, Tristan is a good guy and he really seems to care about her."

"I know, it's just..." Joey's eyes began to well up. Sam felt badly, he thought this would be the easier of the two subjects, he was terrified with how he may react to the other. The boy rubbed his eyes and fought it back, "She's all I got, Yug, and I promised I'd take care of her as best I can." Sam was moved. Underneath all the tough talk and act he was a caring, loving human being.

"Hey Sam, as moving as this is, it's not entirely true."

Sam made like he was rubbing his cheek with his shoulder in Al's direction.

"He has a father, remember?"

"Say, Joey, what about your dad..."

"You hungry, Yug?"

"No, I..."

"I'm starved!" he shot up from the booth and did a quick walk-jog toward the ordering line.

"Al, look it up!"

"I'm on it!"

_What's going on?_

_Anyone ever ask him about his family before?_

_Not that I'm aware._

_Ever meet his dad?_

_Now that you mention it, no._

_We're onto something!_

  
~~~~~*~~~~~   


Al opened the door to the world he had known for five years. The bright computer lights, the hustle and bustle of brainiacs scrambling to get Dr. Beckett home. He made his way toward Verbeena who to his shock, was showing Yugi around.

"Verbeena! What are you..."

"Albert he's so frightened. I thought he would relax more if I got him out of that room."

"Good intentions, but you know Sam will have a cow!"

"Well, Sam isn't here, and I'm in charge!" They looked at the man with the boy's curiosity, hands behind his back. Either afraid to touch anything, or wanting to ensure he wouldn't. He looked over and waved, keeping his hands firmly behind himself.

"Hi, Al! This is incredible!" The "boy" continued to make his way around the room, taking it all in.

"Don't worry, it's not like he's going to remember any of this anyway, right?"

"You have a point. But I need to speak with him. Sam's onto something."

"Yugi!" Verbeena waved him over, "Al needs to speak with you. Think you'll be ok?"

"I feel better. That room was a little depressing."

Al was about to kick himself, but Verbeena was right, the kid wasn't going to remember anything anyway and what Sam didn't know wouldn't make him mad. He led Yugi out into the warm night dessert air.

"This is beautiful! All the stars!" Yugi was in awe.

"Don't see many stars living in the city, huh?"

"No. So why is Sam there?" Al was shocked, Yugi got right to the point.

"Still all Joey. In order to help him though, we need to know more about him."

"Why doesn't Sam just ask?"

"He did. They went to see Serenity and he asked about..."

"His mother?" even Yugi knew better than to bring up the 'm' word.

"Yea, didn't go over well. Asked him about his father and he changed the subject and split. Any ideas?"

"No, never met his dad."

"What about Mai? She's his girlfriend, ever meet the parents?"

"No way! Would you take **her** home?!"

"Well, that's beside the point," Al began to flush, "So no one has ever been to his home? What kind of excuses does he use?"

"Excuses?" Yugi had never thought of Joey's reasons as excuses. "Well, 'tired', 'dad doesn't like people in the house when he's not home and he's away a lot', things like that."

"He ever seem, well, in pain?"

Yugi looked at him cock-eyed, "Pain? How?"

"To be blunt, beat up?"

"WHAT? What are you..."

"Take it easy, he's prone to fights, is he not?"

"So he says. I've seen him go after people..."

"Tristan included!"

"He doesn't like the attention he gives Serenity."

"We know. So he says he's been in fights, but you've only ever seen him go after people? Tristan the only one he's ever gotten a punch into that you've seen?"

"Yea, usually he's pretty easy to talk out of fighting." he was begining to fidget. He wasn't liking where this was going. Al had promised no one was going to get hurt.

"Yugi, you have been more help than you know. We're going to help Joey and you will be able to go home soon. I just have to run this information through Ziggy and Sam." Al began to walk away, when Yugi grabbed his arm.

"You promised no one was going to get hurt. Why all this talk of Joey getting beat up?"

"Well, if it's what we are thinking it's been going on a while and something is about to go down that..." He stopped and tried to walk away again til he noticed the tears. "Look, stay out here a while. Enjoy the air. Want me to send someone to talk to?"

"No, you're right. I'll be fine. I'll try and relax a while. Thank you though."

"No problem kid. See ya in a while." he walked back into the lab handing Verbeena the information for Ziggy and with out a word back into the chamber to find Sam.

  
tbc...   



	4. Part 4

You know, I actually got an email wondering how I am doing this and revising my stories and updating the one on my site?! hehe Anyhoo, incase you will be wondering as this part goes on, I am going on what little I know of the "unsanitized" Yu-Gi-Oh (like most the stories here. It took me a while to figure out what they were talking about, now I'm going out of my skull trying to find "unsanitized" Yu-Gi-Oh!) AND of course in typical Athene-Chan style, I have no title for this part either ;p

btw, ARIGATOU for the reviews =)

  
-----------------------  


"That was fast!" Sam couldn't get over the speed in which the teachers had graded the mid-terms.

"Computers now-a-days. Remember back in our days teachers had to do all this by hand."

"You know, if it weren't for the fact I'm in the body of a healthy fourteen year old, that comment would have hurt."

"Zing! Anyway, I talked to Yugi and no one, not even Mai has met dear ol' dad."

"Geez Al, would you take her home?" Al looked away, rubbed the back of his neck and cleared his throat. "I forget sometimes who I'm talking to." Sam smiled and looked over the results of his, Yugi's, tests as the hologram continued.

"I ran what little we've got so far from Yugi and company through Ziggy..."

"A B? I've never gotten a B... have I?"

"No Sam, and you're supposed to be Yugi, not you... stay focused!"

"Sorry. You ran things through Ziggy and..."

"Good news and bad news, of course, but good news is there **is** a reason Yami stuck around!"

"You mean he shouldn't have?"

"Like he said, he's a big part of Yugi, so he should have leaped too."

"This is incredible!"

_This is wonderful Sam! But, the... well, what's the bad news?_

"Yea, Al the bad news?" he had to choke the words out. He didn't like the look on Al's face. His friend began to fidget and stall. "Al! Please! Like a band aid! Quick..."

"Can you take the puzzle off a minute, please?"

_Go ahead, I understand._ was what Yami said. What Sam heard was 'I don't want to hear this either.' He took it off and gave it a few seconds for the spirit's presence to pass.

"Ok, what's so bad you don't want Yami hearing?"

"Oh, man Sam. Getting Joey and his mother to speak truely will be a test..."

"I know, so..."

"Sooo...here's the thing, it's not just about getting them to speak, it's convincing the kid to speak to her to...", he stopped again and tried to find the words. He liked the kid, so as Sam had told him 'like a band aid', "... save his life." he let a huge sigh as if a ten ton weight had been lifted.

"Save his life? Wha... how?"

"We don't know. We have the whole no one has met daddy thing. There may be something there..."

"The fact he didn't want to talk about him... dad's not such a nice guy, huh?"

"That's my guess, Sam." Both fell silent. Neither wanting to share the scenarios going on in their minds. Sam put the puzzle back on, then looked deep in thought. Al could only guess he was breaking the news to Yami. His own problem was how to, **if** to, break it to Yugi. He began to rock back and forth on his heels, impatient with his own thoughts, then noticed the subject of their conversation attempting another sneak attack on his little friend.

"Hey, Sam, behind you! Don't look! Just play along." Al was going to have a little fun of his own. As the boy got closer, Al waited, then signaled for Sam to jump. At just the right moment, Sam jumped up, spooking the would be attacker back right through the doors and flat on his back into the hall. Sam ran in to find Joey on his back, grabbing his chest.

"Ya got me, pal! Good one!" he took Sam's hand to sit up. "So, how'd ya do?" Sam was ready to answer, then Joey interrupted. "Ya did great, right? All that studyin' ya did there's no reason you wouldn't." Sam tried to determine if the tone of the question/comment was congradulatory, or jealousy. He didn't ask, but to his surprise, Joey offered anyway, "I did all right I guess."

"You guess? You studied hard too. Even Tristan said..."

"Yea, sure, Yug. I'll catch ya later, huh?"

"Sure..." He watch the boy slowly make his way out the front doors. 

"He seems a little down, doesn't he?" Sam turned to be greeted by a cheerful smile from a boy with rather long hair and huge dark eyes that seemed to be focused right past Sam's position. "Forgive me, but those aren't colors one would find in nature, now are they?" he said as he continued smiling.

"What?! You..." Al looked up down and all around. No one with odd colors but himself. "You can see... uh oh!"

"Oh boy." was all Sam could manage. He only hoped the boy couldn't tell Yugi was gone. He tried to play along until he and Al noticed the cheerfulness suddenly fade, then Sam felt Yami take over. Al decided this wasn't going to be pretty, but like watching a bad accident he couldn't look away.

"So **old** friend, who's your **new** friend?"

"What do you want, 'thief'?"

"Nothing... oh, just your puzzle, but there is a time and place for that. So are you going introduce us?" His eyes were evil, his smile was evil, his voice was evil. Yami could feel Sam getting nervous.

_Don't worry, Sam. This may be why I had to stay._

The evil boy walked to Al, looking him up and down. "For once I agree with the little twerp! These colors are hideous!" He tried to touch the lapel and watch as his hand went straight through then quickly pulled it back. "WHAT IS THIS?!" he decided he wanted no more and gave control back to the young boy. Yami followed suit and gave Sam control.

"So, Yugi, who's your friend?" the cheerfulness had returned as if nothing had happened.

"What's going on 'Yugi'?" Al asked through his teeth.

_Yami, who is this?_

_I'm sorry Sam, this is Bakura. He has a Millennium item, but no control._

_He acts like he doesn't know..._

_He does. There's a great amount of fear there. I suggest you leave it be. This is my department._ Sam wasn't about to argue, and introduced Al as if he were there.

"Nice to meet you Al! So what do you suppose has gotten into Joey?"

"Didn't do as well as he hoped, I guess. Oh, speaking of that, Al follow him..."

"But, Sa... Yugi, you know that it takes a lot out of Zi... you know what to do that and getting back to you will be slowed down..."

"Just go!" he snapped. 

"Right, just don't say I didn't warn you!" then he vanished. Sam tried to explain to Bakura what had happened. The angel like expression didn't change. It was like he was in shock. 

"Bakura?"

"Yes, Yugi?" his expression still wasn't changing and his voice was monotone.

"Just do me a favor and don't say anything to anyone, ok?" the boy shook it off and snapped back.

"Sure Yugi. No one would believe me anyway! I have to go! I'm anxious to show my mom my grades! See you around!"

_Wow, Yami. That poor kid._

_I know. Unfortunatly it's his destiny to have the item. Tristan threw it away once, but it found it's way back._

_He's not going to try and take you is he?_

_No. He has to play me for it, and like he said there's a time and place for it._

_Not now, not here thank goodness!_

_We should be getting home. Yugi promised his grandfather he would help him in the store today._

_Well, let's keep that promise! I just hope Al will be ok._

  
~~~~*~~~~   


Al had done what Sam had asked and followed Joey home. He could tell Ziggy wasn't liking the strain of connecting to someone other than Sam. 

"Gooshi! Keep him steady!" _Wow, Sam I hope you're right about this._ He took a look around the house, "Nice place, kid." he went into the living room where his charge had flopped on the couch and grabbed a new reading assignment.

"Geez! Back one day from mids and homework all ready!" he mummbled. He flipped through the book and wrinkled his nose. Al took a peek.

"Say, Shakespeare is... cool." he tried to comfort as if the boy could hear him. He watched him flip through the book. Not reading, just scanning. Suddenly he slapped the book shut, stood and threw it across the room.

"This SUCKS!"

"Whoa, kid! Take it easy!" Thoughts of more evil Yami began running through his mind, but then, if he did have one of those things, he could see him. Al relaxed again and followed Joey into the kitchen where a note had been waiting on the table.

"What...?" Joey picked it up to read it. Al could only make out a few mumbled words as the boy read, " 'Don't wait up.'!? No problem!" he crushed the note then slam dunked it into the trash before Al could read it himself.

"He cares enough to leave a note. That's a good sign." Al thought aloud. The only thing Al couldn't get passed was Joey's attitude. It almost seemed to take a darker turn than the Bakura kid's. He followed Joey back into the living room where the boy collapsed back onto the couch. He began to reach into his bookbag when the slamming of a car door startled him. He quickly shoved everything back into his bookbag, ran to get the book he had thrown, made it back in time to shove the bag under the couch as far back as it would go then make like he had been reading the whole time.

Al looked out the window. It was an older, fairly attractive, clean cut man, with an even more attractive young lady waiting in the car. _Must be daddy and... no clue but what a hottie! Ah, to learn the secrets of the Wheeler men..._

As the door opened, Joey appeared to try and disappear into the couch with help from the book. It didn't work. The man walked over, grabbed the book and looked it over.

"MacBeth, huh?"

"Yes, sir.

"How did your mid terms go?"

"Don't know. Didn't get 'em back yet."

Al had to do a double take. The kid lied straight faced with out missing a beat. He looked for the stern man's reaction. He simply handed Joey his book and went about his business.

"I thought you were ganna be late tonight." Joey's dark attitude had taken a complete turn around with just the sound of the car doors. He was suddenly meek and child like.

"Laurna forgot her purse. We just came back for it. Leaving now. You weren't planning any fast parties were you?"

"Course not, sir!" was the overly defensive response.

"Just kidding! You are so uptight sometimes." he walked back passed the couch and ruffled his son's hair. Al was confused. The man was so stern and frightening when it came to school talk then all of the sudden... he gave up. He watched as the man started to leave, but just before shutting the door he peeked back in, "Say, Joseph!"

"Yes, sir?"

"You need a haircut. There's money in the jar in the kitchen, just enough I think. After your homework I want you to go. Got it?"

Al watched for Joey's reaction. He was scowling behind the book. His father was still waiting for an answer.

"You hear me, young man?!"

"Yes sir!"

"Good." he finally shut the door and left for the evening. Joey was still scowling, his face bright red.

"Geez, kid, let it out before ya burst!" Al warned. Finally the boy snapped. He threw the book at the front door full force.

"I GOT IT, YA JERK!" he screamed, then to Al's shock added, "AND WHO'S LAURNA?!" It seemed to Al the way Joey's father casually mentioned this woman, Joey knew of her. Still, he wasn't sure of what to make of this. He didn't seem like a jerk, a hard case maybe; someone overly concerned for his kid's education and appearance. He watched Joey stomp toward the window, making sure his father was gone. Once assured, he went to the kitchen, grabbed the money and his keys and left.

"Gooshi, Ziggy! You know what to do!" he cried out. "We can only hope he's going to see Sam."

  
~~~~*~~~~   


Al couldn't have asked for any other wish to come true. Joey went straight to the game shop where Sam had been helping Yugi's grandfather. _Thank goodness! Maybe Ziggy will chill now!_

"Hey, Yug! Your grandpa around?"

"Sure, he's in the back. Go ahead on in."

"Thanks, buddy." Sam and Al watched to make sure Joey had gone all the way back before Al was able to share anything.

"If anything, Sam, his dad is just a hard case. To me it's like the kid has a problem with authority and probably just needs an attitude adjustment. So as far as saving lives, I would worry more about his dad's than his."

"Are you serious? I don't see Joey being a murderer Al! But then what's with the saving a life business? Are we sure it's **his** life?"

_Maybe it has something to do with the other 'not-so-friendly' "Yami"?_ the spirit offered.

_I hope not, but that would explain why you're still here._

"Sam, ya still with me?" Al was having a hard time telling if he was communicating with Yami or just deep in thought.

"Yea, Yami thinks it may have something to do with... you aren't going to like this... other "Yami"."

"You're right I don't like it."

"I still want to keep an eye out on his dad though. What exactly happened?"

"Well, he get's home, his attitude is off the charts, then his father comes in and he's..." Al had to think about this, why if the guy is just a "hard-case" would he be affraid? "... all of the sudden it was like he just shut down. 'Yes, sir', 'No, sir' stuff. Like he was affraid of setting off a fuse."

"Al, he's terrified of the man! Now that we know it's possible I want you to keep an eye on him. And pay attention to his address. No one seems to know it..."

"Who ya talkin' to, Yug?" Joey and grandpa had come out from the back, Sam hadn't even noticed.

"No one, really. Just thinking out loud." he tried to keep a smile, but knowing, or thinking the worse about what this boy may be going through was like a needle through bone. "What ya got there, Joey?"

"Ah! He wanted to surprise Mai, didn't ya, Joseph!" the old man nudged and winked. Joey just blushed. "He got her a card to go in her Harpie Lady deck."

"Really, she'd lo..."

"Sam, that money was for him to get a haircut!"

"Yea, been savin' for it. I remember her sayin' somethin' about it so..." he continued to blush, then started backing out the door. "Gotta run! Thanks gramps!"

" 'Been saving for it' my keister! Sam he took that money!"

"Anytime, Joseph!"

"Sam, this isn't going to go over to well..."

"Grandpa, you mind if I take off early?"

"Course not! Thanks for the help!" the man was a little overly cheerful for Al. A sharp contrast from what Joey was dealing with, that was for sure. He noticed Sam trying to casually motion for him to follow.

  
~~~~*~~~~   


Yugi's little legs stood no chance at catching up to Joey. The kid's legs were long and carried him a great distance at a greater speed.

"Damn! Al is it possible to look up Mai's address?"

"Why not ask Tristan?" Al pointed across the street to the boy climbing down from his motorcycle.

"Al I could kiss you!"

"Thankfully you can't!"

"Tristan! Got a minute?" Sam called out.

"Hey Yugi! Sure, what's up?"

"Did you see Joey?"

"Yea, he's heading for Mai's. Why?"

"I really need to talk to him..."

"Ha! Yea, Yug! You're ganna bug him and Mai." Tristan winked, Al flinched. "Look, he's not going to be long. She's grounded, he'd have to be outta there before her parents get home anyway."

"Good... well not good, just..." Sam thought about it. The way Tristan made it seem, Mai would have to see something- this was not easy for him to comprehend, but teenagers will be teenagers- he thought of how he could bring up the subject to Mai with out frightnening, or insulting, her. "Thanks Tristan! Gotta run!" 

"Sure, Yug, see ya!" _Man he's been acting funny lately!_   
~~~~*~~~~   


"You're going to ask Mai if she has "seen" anything? Sam!"

"How else do you expect us to know for sure if he's getting beat up?!"

"Don't you think she would have said something?"

"No, Al, I don't. Especially if he may have asked her not to if anything was said between them."

_You think Mai would cover something so serious, Sam?_

_Like I said, if anything was shared between them, as typical teenagers go, it's going to stay between them._ "That is if anything was said. Al, you said Yugi told you Joey talks a big game, but has never actually seen it happen?"

"Except for the bouts between him and Tristan."

"It's possible that's all Mai thinks it is too. Go back to Joey's. Keep an eye out."

"Sure thing Sam. Oh, but it's like I told you; Ziggy doesn't like this! It's going to get harder and harder to reach you..."

"GO!"

"Yea, yea..."

_He's a stubborn man, is he not?_

"Yes, he is, Yami. But you can't fault him for caring. I can tell he's warming up to you and he likes this kid. I'll bet anything it's cuz he reminds him of himself as a kid." Sam decided to call it a day. With Al keeping an eye on Joey, he was able to relax more. "What do you say we head back to the game shop. You and "gramps" can show me more of this game."

_Sure, Sam. You have been catching on fast!_

_Well, I did play it before... twenty or so years ago!_

  
tbc...   



	5. Part 5

Ok, ok, this is probably not the best part, but I'm trying to establish something here... something, I think. I'll let you all be the judge O_o Besides, if I take it any farther than I'm ganna, this part would be it, and it's not like me to end on a measly 5 parts. (anyone who's been to my site knows this; book one is like 15 parts and still going. Book two IS 15 parts... you get my point ;p) Not that this is going to be 15 parts, but I still think 5 is too soon to end. Please don't hate me O_o

  
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Al waited outside Mai's for his charge, when the door opened and out he came, blowing a kiss to his girl.

"See ya in school tomorrow, babe!"

"Right, 'dork'! And thank you again! It's perfect!"

"It was nothin'! See ya!" and he took off.

_Dork?! You ganna... kids!_ Al tried to follow him as best Ziggy could. The closer to Joey's neighborhood they got, the slower the boy walked.

"Wow, Joe. I wish there was more I could do for ya." Al wanted very much to be able to reach out to him. The boy stopped a few blocks short to breath when a motorcycle came roaring up behind him and the hologram.

"HEY JOEY!" yelled Tristan over his engine as he slowed to a stop. "I've been looking all over for ya! Yugi's been lookin' for ya. Says he needs to talk to you."

"What about?" he asked as he climbed onto the bike.

"I dunno. He seemed pretty upset though."

"Well take me to him! Giddy-up!"

Ziggy seemed to sigh in relief. "I know I know. I've been trying to tell him!" Al answered, then was off to Sam.

  
~~~~*~~~~   


Al popped into the game shop and looked around. Sam was alone.

"HEY SAM!" the little body jumped. Al got a kick out of it. Sam didn't.

"Honestly, Al! You sure you and Joey aren't related?!"

"Sure as I am about Tina."

_Not so sure then, huh?_ he thought and rolled his eyes. "So why are you here and not watching Joey?"

"Cuz he's on his way here. These kids have a very close knit friendship, Sam. Tristan went looking for him for ya. So he's bringing him here."

"Great." Sam didn't seem pleased. Al threw his hands up.

"So...?" the guide was becoming irritated with his friend's attitude.

"I'm sorry. I'm not ready to talk to him yet..."

"You were earlier."

"Well, Yami convinced me he's not going to like what I just did."

"And what did you just do?"

"Told Grandpa about a "gut feeling" and got Joey's money back. Said Mai can keep the card, but..."

"That's great, Sam! Why would he be upset? He can take the money back before his dad notices it..."

"No, Al you don't understand..." Sam filled Al in on what Yami had to share; Joey's run with gangs, his bullying Yugi, how Yugi saved him and Tristan, "Yami split, by the way. Said he'll come back if Bakura, or whatever, decides to visit, but wants no part in ruining a hard earned friendship."

"Really? So telling him you somehow know he stole the money..."

"He'll be pissed. And that's puting it mildly. Accusing someone like this kid of a wrong doing from his past..."

"Psyco-babble talk, Sam..." Al just wanted him to get on with it. "So don't say anything. Grandpa had a change of heart about taking his money."

"No, I'm not going to lie to him. I know for a fact Grandpa is going to say something to him, he's so disappointed in him I feel terrible. Besides, we don't know for sure if it's his father that's going to kill him anyway..."

"Uh, well...see..."

"Oh no, oh no! Al!"

"I just found out myself! You think I would keep this from you?!"

_Just tell him, Sam. He will be very upset, but if it's going to save his life..._

_Yami! I thought..._

_I am very sorry. I knew you were here to save his life, but I thought it would be why I was here as well. I didn't think..._

_It's ok. I understand._ "Al, I'm just going to..." he was interrupted by the sound of the motorcycle pulling up in front of the store. He tried to look busy and act surprised to see his friend.

"Hey, Joey! What's up? Tristan not coming in?"

"Nah. He said you needed to talk." He rounded the counter and pulled up a stool. "So, talk it out, pal!" As if this leap wasn't tough enough, the kid had to be all cheerful. Sam just looked at him; resting his chin in his hand, swining his feet just inches from the floor, big smile across his face. It was like Al had said, 'Just being a kid.' Sam was getting nauseous.

_Not going to make this easy for me are ya?_ he ran for the doors, locked them and pulled the closed sign.

"Yug, your grandpa..."

"Is running errands and will be a while."

"Wow. This is serious! Sure you don't need one of those psyco-docs?"

"A psyc... wha.. no!"

"Ooook..." Joey thought a moment, then side glanced his little pal and began to inch away, "Not goin' 'Bakura' on us are ya?"

"Wha.. Baku... NO!", _Yami, is he serious?!_

_Afraid so._

"No! Just listen!" he was getting fustrated. Did this kid ever shut up?

"Ok! Ok! I'm sor... what's this?" Sam held the money out, not watching for any reactions. He just wanted Joey to take it and be greatful. Unfortunatly, this wasn't to be. When the money wasn't being taken, he slowly opened his eyes. Joey's bright brown eyes were wide, the color from his cheeks fading.

"Just take it. Please. Mai can keep the card..."

"What's goin' on, Yug?" his expression hadn't changed, but his tone had.

_Uh oh._

_'Uh oh' doesn't sound any better coming from you than it does Al!_

"Yugi, why ya givin' me my money back? I know your grandpa, he's not one for charity when it comes to these cards!"

"It's not like that...", _Yami, I'm not so sure..._

_Like I said, he will be upset, but he will get over it. Their friendship is very strong..._

_But, strong enough to withstand an accusation like this?_

_...?_

"Joey, I... don't ask how, why or anything, ok?"

"Right. I'm just hereta listen. So spill! What's on your mind? You really seemed bummed!"

"Yea, so... I know you stole this..."

"Y-you wha...?!"

"Just take it back! Put it back! Please!"

"I'm not hearin' this! You know me better..."

"Do I?

"Sam!?"

_Sam!?_

"Sam don't push it!"

_He's right. Please be careful!_

"I'm not ganna take this!" Joey ran for the doors, forgetting they were locked and slammed right into them. He quickly stood up and began fighting with the lock, becoming more and more angry. He punched and kicked at them as hard as he could. Sam slowly walked toward him, staying out of striking range. "UNLOCK 'EM, YUG!"

"No. Not till you take the money back." Joey stopped and turned to face 'Yugi', bending down to eye level and took the money.

"This money?" he asked bitterly.

"Yes, that mon..." Joey flung it in Sam's face then turned back to finish his assault on the doors.

"OPEN 'EM!"

"No."

"Damn it, Yugi! I'm not playin'!"

"Neither am I. I know you stole this, I wish I could tell you how. If you don't... DAMN IT KID! IS YOUR LIFE REALLY ONLY WORTH EIGHTY DOLLARS?!" Joey froze, this did not sound like Yugi.

" 'Damn it kid?' Wha... I'm ol... MY LIFE?! Whattya gettin' at, Yug?" Sam was begining to believe multi-tasking was not one of this kid's specialties. That wasn't important, so he shook it off.

"There's a reason you don't speak to your mother and it's not just cuz she left you and took Serenity. There's things you're keeping from them, me, everyone..."

"Shut up! What do you know..." his voice was cracking, he was trying to hold back from crying.

"You'd be surprised."

"I haven't stole anything since you, YOU, turned my life around..." the kid was a convincing liar, but Sam had all ready figured on that. Joey had to be with what he was living with.

"Right. So let me help you again. First, take the money back, no big deal. Second, call your mom..."

"Wrong move, Sam!"

"Open... these... doors, Yugi."

_Maybe you should let him go..._

_No way! I open these doors, he dies._

"YUGI!"

"No." Joey couldn't take anymore. He grabbed Sam by the collar, flung him around and slammed the little body into the doors.

"Don't make me hurt you, please, don't make me..."

"Then just listen to me. Calm down..."

"Just let me go home..."

"No way. Not without the..."

"You say 'money' I'll..." he raised his fist, ready to strike. Sam kept eye contact, and his cool.

"Go ahead. Think it will make you feel better? Think it makes your dad feel better when he does it to you?" Joey let out a cry to rival a banshee. Sam braced himself for the blow. Instead there was a loud crash and several shards of glass just inches from his ear. Joey had put his fist through the window. The pain must have been unreal. He dropped Sam, jumped back, fell to his knees and hugged his hand to his chest.

"Sam...?" Al couldn't believe what he had seen. Sam kept his cool through the whole thing even knowing the bigger of the two was capable of ripping the smaller to shreds. Sam just nodded. He was fine, Joey was another story. He snuck past the sobbing boy to find a small note pad. He scratched a note to Al.

"You're going to sneak the money into his pocket? What if he doesn't..." Sam began writting again, "With his keys. Ok, but you still need to get him to speak to his mother..." he started scribbling more, " 'I will, he just has to live one more day for that to happen.' I understand. You're hoping he finds the money in time to put it back so daddy can't say anything. Sam what if..." more writting, " 'That's why you'll be there.' Sam, Ziggy is getting temp..." this time Sam wasn't writting, he was glarring, angry. "Ok, Sam!" Sam remembered seeing a first aid kit and went for it to clean Joey's hand.

"Geez, Yug, you a doctor now too?" Sam looked at Al for a answer.

"Yes, Sam, you are M.D. extraordinaire!"

_M.D. is a doctor? I thought you were..._

_I'll explain later._

"Yugi, I'm sorry. I just... just..." the boy was now in full blown tear mode. Sam and Al both were ready to follow, but decided to stay strong for him. "Stay out of this, ok? He doesn't...please Yug." As the boy continued to plead with his friend, Sam finished with his hand then slickly slid the money into his patient's pocket.

"Joey, I can't pretend there isn't something wrong. I'll drop the money issue if you speak to your mother..."

"No way. I got nothin' ta say ta her."

"I think you have more to say to her than you're willing to admit, but ok." Joey never looked up, he kept well hidden under his thick bangs. Sam opened the doors, figuring his next move was to have to find an explination for the broken window.

"See ya around, pal." he said solemnly.

"Sure."

"You sure he's going to be ok, Sam?"

"Better than he would have been had I let him just go. Besides, Al, look at it this way; I don't have to ask Mai anything!"

_That's a relief!_ Yami didn't want to know either.

"It have done no good anyway." Al offered.

"Why's that?"

"They haven't 'done' anything..."

"How do you know?"

"Trust me, pal. These kids have yet to round first! See ya later."

_Round first?_ Poor Sam felt as though he was there for Yami just to explain things, which he really didn't have time for now. He peeked through the hole in the glass to be met with a bewildered grandpa doing the same.

"Yugi! What happened here?!"

"Long story, grandpa. Long story."

  
tbc...   



	6. Part 6

Thank you, Cyberkat for all your help so far! I promise I'm not making mistakes on purpose ;p As for your last review... 'Poor Joey!'... uh, well... I hope you don't hate me after this part O_o *plops forehead onto desk*

**Update on this chapter; Cyberkat thanks again! You are so right! Typos are a PAIN! As for the caps, if you are talking about the conversation between Yami and Tristan, they are yelling over a motorcycle engine ;p And thank you too, Angel-Belle!**

  
  
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Al found himself babysitting yet again. He followed Joey as he walked, slower and slower toward home. He kept his gaze to the ground and his hand to his chest.

"Aren't there leash laws in this city?" came a harsh voice from behind. It sent chills up Al's spine. Joey stopped, didn't look up, but gruffly harumphed and started again.

"Who the hell is this kid?!" Al kept his eye on him; taller than even Tristan and piercing blue eyes that narrowed in anger at being ignored.

"Hey, Wheeler! I'm talking to you!"

"I heard ya! I don't have time for ya now, Kaiba." Joey continued walking, slow enough Kaiba caught up without effort and grabbed him around his neck from behind.

"You let go you..." Al was ready for him, if he could, he'd have taken this punk on.

"So make time." he noticed the bandage on his rival's hand and a sick smile crossed his face. "What happened to your hand? Someone a really bad puppy today, huh?" he was mocking his victim with baby talk. Al was getting sick.

"Back off! What do you want anyway, Seto?"

"Nothing. Just noticed you were down. I had some time to kill and thought I could help." he started to cackle, "Maybe help bring you down a little more!" his laughter increased, then he threw Joey aside as if he were throwing away a tissue and walked away. The sick laugh still hanging in the air.

"What a putz! How do you..." the 'babysitter' turned to find Joey actually picking up speed toward home. "Damn it, kid! Wait up!"

He caught up to Joey, who was just standing outside his door, staring blankly. He reached into his pocket for his keys. His eyes widened and he began to snarl.

"Damn you, Yug!" he growled through his teeth.

"Found the money, did ya, kid?" Al readied himself to zip back to Sam to warn him what may be coming. Instead, Joey looked at his hand, sighed and smiled.

"Thanks for bein' a pal." he said softly before entering his home. Al smiled. As corny as it was, it was true friendship.

Everything was quiet. Too quiet for Al, but perfect for Joey. He flung his coat off and began to drop it onto the couch when he noticed something move and quickly caught it in midair. His father was asleep. Hopefully fast asleep.

"You jerk! You said you'd be late!" Al scolded. He took a closer look. He knew better; the man wasn't sleeping, he was passed out. "Oh, boy..." he could see the terror in Joey's eyes. The kid was about to just drop his coat onto his sleeping father. Every worst case senario when through his mind before he snapped back, ran into the kitchen to replace the money then take off for his room, lock the door and collapse onto his bed.

"Damnitdamnitdamnit..." was muffled into a pillow.

_Should I get Sam? What should I do?!_ Al's mind was racing. He really didn't know what to do. The kid replaced the money, so maybe if his father stayed crashed for the evening, things should be fine...

"BOY! I KNOW YOU'RE HOME! GET DOWN HERE NOW!" Joey jumped back into the wall next to his bed and hugged his knees.

"No no no no..." he repeated under his breath.

"NOW!!!" Even Al jumped this time.

"I should get Sam! But what if this is... or what if it could be...Gooshie!" Al struggled with what to do, then found _himself_ praying. Hey, it worked for Sam. "DAMN IT!" He followed Joey down the stairs, the skinny body shaking uncontrollably. "Take it easy, kid. Could be nothing." he wasn't sure who he was trying to comfort more, Joey or himself.

They made their way slowly into the living room where Mr. Wheeler was sitting with his face in his hands, seemingly trying to rub away what would soon be a massive hang-over.

"When I look up, your hair better be cut, styled, permed, and gold plated, all that money you took!"

"S-s-sir?" the man snapped his gaze up at his son. His eyes were blood shot and very angry. His fists started to clench, "I-I-I replaced it! I p-p-put it b-b-back! Look!" the man slowly stood and swaggered into the kitchen. Joey followed, from far behind. "See? All there. I promise." he said meakly. His father marched toward him and smacked him upside the head.

"What the hell were you thinking taking all that money, brat?!" Joey looked back to the floor, again allowing his bangs to hide his fear. "LOOK AT ME!" the boy quickly obeyed, but found he couldn't get his mouth to work for an answer.

"..."

"Never mind. It's back." he seemed to relax, but then startled even _Al_ when he grabbed his son by the hair and dragged him to the answering machine. "But how about explaining this?" he made Joey press the play button. It was his biology teacher, reminding him, and other students as well- her voice was cracking, she must have been going in alphabetical order- about school policy when a student gets below a D on an exam.

_"Please have it signed and returned to me tomorrow. Thank you."_ *Click*

Then his History teacher followed right after a bill collector. Al watched Joey's face turn three shades of green before his father decided he prefered black and blue, and decked him. Joey fell to the floor and attempted to cover his head, begging for the man who called himself a father, to stop. Wheeler grabbed his boy by the hair again, yanked him to his feet and slammed him into a wall. Al felt his chest cave in. He thought sure he was having a heart attack.

"GOOSHI! ZIGGY! GET ME TO SAM! GET ME THERE NOW NOW NOW!!" Nothing._Damn it, Sam! I warned you!_ he continued to pound Ziggy and holler for Gooshie all the while from the corner of his eye he could see the man threatening his own son's life. He tried to keep from looking, but he still couldn't help hearing.

"PLEASE NO! PLEASE PLEASE!" Joey tearfully begged and pleaded. "Not again! PLEASE!"

"Should have thought about that before you **lied** to me, **stole** from me, and **disobeyed** me!" every offense was punctuated with Joey's head against the wall.

"GOOSHIE! DAMN IT!" Al cried.

_"Admiral! We're trying..."_

"FINALLY! WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!" he demanded.

_"You weren't locked onto Joseph for so long before! You've been locked on him for over two hours now! We're trying to get a fix on Sam..."_

"TRY HARDER!" he demanded again. Suddenly a shrill cry came from behind, and against his better judgement, he turned toward the cry anyway. Daddy was standing on the hand Sam had repaired and was trouncing the boy, going back and forth from fist to belt, buckle first, tearing at Joey's flesh.

Al dropped the little Ziggy, covered his ears and shut his eyes tight. He then began to stomp the little computer to bits, cursing it to hell and back then to hell again, "GOOSHIE! ZI..." before he knew it, Ziggy had come through and he was right next to Sam. "GGY!" Sam jumped, not from Al's screaming, but from how he was acting.

"AL! WHAT'S GOING ON!?" he wanted to shake the hologram to pieces.

"Oh, boy Sam! Get there now, get there fast just GET THERE!"

"All right! Calm down! Where is it?!"

"Uh, Creston Drive... too far by foot, or at least too far you'd never..."

_Call Tristan. Start by foot, he can meet you and take you the rest of the way._ Sam took Yami's advice and called Tristan, trying not to give too much detail. As soon as he hung up, he sped out the door.

"Sam, that was Tristan? He's coming?" Al didn't like this.

"Yea, I just have to listen for him..."

"Look, Sam, I don't think..." Al was cut short by the familiar sound of the bike screeching to a halt to allow the little body to climb on.

"Where am I taking you?"

"Creston Drive."

"Creston?! What's there?"

"..."

"Ok, hang on!" The bike was a sling-shot. Sam never remembered being on such a fast machine before. He was terribly frightened.

"YUGI! LOOSEN...UP! CAN'T... BREATH!"

_I'll take over. I've been on this before._

_Thankyouthankyouthankyou..._

"YUGI, YA GANNA TELL ME WHY WE'RE IN SUCH A HURRY TO GET TO CRESTON?"

"I'M SORRY, I CAN'T. JUST PLEASE HURRY AND KNOW I APPRECIATE THIS!"

"NO PROBLEM! WHAT EVER IT IS, IT MUST BE PRETTY IMPORTANT, HUH?!"

"YES! AND THANK YOU AGAIN TRISTAN!"

_Thanks for covering, Yami._

As they rounded the corner Yami spotted Al on the front step of their targeted house waving for them to stop.

"HERE! STOP!" Tristan pulled the breakes and stopped as quickly as he started, and looked around.

"What's here?" he wondered allowed.

"Sam or Yami... whoever! Don't let Tristan go in!" Al warned. Yami gave control back to Sam.

"Is it really... that bad?" Sam hesitated to go in, "Damn it."

"Who ya talking to, Yug?" Tristan had joined him on the step.

"Huh? No one..." the look on his guide's face caused Sam greater hestiation than ever before. Tristan couldn't take it and turned the knob.

"Hey, they were expecting you!"

"TRISTAN, WAIT..."

"What _is_ it, Yug? You're so jumpy..." and he walked in farther anyway.

"TRISTAN!" Tristan waved him off, there was no one home.

"Settle down! There's no one here! Why did we come here anyway?" he was making his way into the kitchen, "HELLO?!"

"SAM GET HIM OUT..."

"AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!" Sam watched the boy backing out of the kitchen, white as a ghost. He kept going back until he tripped over the coffee table and landed a perfect ten back flip onto the couch. "Y-y-yu...J-jo... he's..."

"Tristan, calm down! What did you see?"

"J-j-j... he...he's..." Sam slowly crept into the kitchen.

"Over here." Al pointed, rubbing his eyes. 

"Oh no no no..."

_Sam, are we... too late?_ Sam knelt beside Joey to check his vital signs, then sighed a huge relief.

"He's fine. It looks worse than what it is." he noticed the telephone off the hook and a bloody finger print smeared on the number nine. "He tried to call for help..." he finished what the boy had started and called. "They're on their way. Where's Tristan?"

"Outside, tossin' his cookies."

_Tossing coo..._

_Never mind, Yami._ ,"This wouldn't kill him." he offered the worried friends. "It's possible, since his father isn't here, he just went out again to take a brake and will come back..."

"... to finish his job." Al finished.

"I'm going to check on Tristan." He stepped slowly outside to comfort the frightened friend. He was still hanging over the railing. Done being sick, but was now in the 'shock' phase.

"Yugi, is he...?"

"No. He's fine..."

"Fine?! Are we talking about the same bloody mess on that kitchen floor?!"

"Trust me, Tris..."

"I don't know, Yug..." Tristan had become gravely serious. It worried Sam. "You've been acting weird lately. I wasn't going to say anything but... HOW DID YOU KNOW ABOUT THIS?! DO YOU KNOW WHO DID THIS?!" Sam found himself in the familiar position of eye to eye by the collar against the house. There may have been some advantages to such a small body, but the disadvantages were soon out-weighing them.

"I-I didn't know... I just..."

_The puzzle! ME! I've helped with something like this before!_

_Why, AGAIN, haven't you..._

_We all ready knew he was in trouble at the time, we didn't know about this._

_I'm sorry._, "The puzzle! Remember? It helped Joey before..." the grip loosened and the anger faded back into tears. Sam made sure Tristan would be ok before going back in with Joey.

"I'll... be fine... Yug." he assured as he rubbed the tears from his eyes.

"Tristan, you have to hear me out, ok?"

"Of course..."

"You have to call his mo..."

"No way! She's the last person..."

"Who could save his life!"

"What do you mean? He _is_ going to die, isn't he?!"

"If you don't call his mother! He'll never confess to what just happened. His father will keep..."

"His father?! No way..."

"Never been here before, right? None of us have ever met him, not even Mai!"

"Geez, Yug, would you take her..."

"Look, please! Call her!"

"Ok, Yug. I'm sorry." he started to call, then stopped and side glanced Sam, "You're sure..."

"Very!" he said as he went back to join Al and Joey.

"Any changes, Al?"

"No. Sam that ambulance better hurry, we don't know where _daddy_ is or when he may be back to finish..." Sam stopped him. Yami didn't want to hear anymore. He looked Joey over again; too many bruises to count, cuts and scrapes all over. The wound from his hand had reopened, the bandage was soaked with blood.

"Damn..." was all Sam could squeek out. He didn't care what Al had said about him being a great M.D., he couldn't stomach what he was seeing. "These cuts aren't deep enough to be a... a... knife. What..."

"Over here." Al was pointing to something in the sink.

"Oh, Jesus!" Sam picked up the assault weapon; a belt with a bloodied buckle.

"Yugi! She's on her way to the hospital and the... HOLY SH...!" Tristan had run in to give him the update, the sight of the belt sending him back out and over the rail. Sam listened as the ambualnce stopped and the paramedics jumped out, then rushed through the door.

"Poor kid must have been the one who found his friend." the first one said of Tristan.

"IN HERE!" Sam called, still holding the belt.

"Whoa! Kid, it's probably best you and your friend outside go home. We'll take it from here."

"Uh, no. Let me stay..."

"No way, kid. Sorry."

"Right." Sam joined Tristan again, but wasn't about to just 'go home'.

"He'll be ok, right Yug?"

"Yea, but he's going to need us..." Sam felt himself knocked out of the way, accidentally, by the first paramedic through the door at Joey's feet. The sight of his friend on a stretcher made _Yami_ ill.

"You two haven't left yet?! He'll be fine! Go home..."

"But his mother's going to be there!" Tristan said angrily.

"All the more reason you can rest assured and go..."

"Screw this! Come on Yug!" he stomped to his bike, Sam quickly following, when one of the paramedic's comments stopped them in their tracks.

"See this kid's hands? The one is full of glass..."

"Which one?!" Sam wanted to know.

"The one not bandaged. Why?"

"I bandaged the other. He..." Sam gave up. These people weren't going to hear anything they had to say. They had a job to do.

"Ok, kid..." he finished helping his partner lift Joey into the ambulance. Once in, he walked over to reassure the boys their friend was going to be fine, until his partner stopped him.

"Cal, there was a guy who checked himself into the E.R. earlier. Glass in his face, cuts all over _his_ hands. Don't you think...?" Cal turned his attention back to 'Yugi' and Tristan as the other called his friend in the E.R.

"What's this kid's name?" Cal wanted to know.

"Joey Wheeler." Tristan answered, still obviously very angry.

"What ya got, Andy?"

"Wheeler..."

"Damn, not another one of these!" he said under his breath, though he knew Tristan and Sam could still hear him. "Let's roll! And you two, go home!" The two watched as the ambulance sped away with their friend inside.

"Come on, Yug..."

"But we can't just..."

"We're not just going home! He's going to need us! If he's even going to still speak to me when he finds out _I_ called his mom!"

"Tristan..."

"Come on, damn it!"

_Uh, Yami?!_

_Right, Sam._ Yami had taken over just in time for Tristan to hit the gas, and they were on their way as quickly as the ambulance. Sam hoped to be just _visiting_ the hospital!

  
tbc...  



	7. Part 7

Ok, Sorry I took some time on this one, watching very closely the typos and trying so hard to lay off the 'sap'! I'm feeling the pressure since you all have been so kind, I don't want to let you down! BTW, I don't know names and I'm terrible at making them up so... (If I say too much more, I'd be giving things away O_o So, in advance; Gomen Nasai!!!) Another fair warning: This is another LONG one!

  
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They made it just in time to catch the paramedics wheeling in the stretcher. The one paramedic shooting daggers at the two, so they decided it best to hang back for now.

"Man, what a jerk!" Tristan scowled.

"He's just doing his job. He doesn't need a couple of kids in his way." Sam kept his eye on where they were taking Joey, not noticing or choosing to ignore, the confused look from Tristan.

"Uh, whatever..." He shrugged it off, then noticed a severly distraught woman running in their direction. "Mrs. Wheeler!"

_Mrs. Wheeler? She never changed her name?_

_Should she have?_ Yami was fairly familiar with this, but it was just what Sam didn't need; another thing to have to explain. Later.

"Tristan! Yugi! What... why...?!" she grabbed Tristan and hugged him tightly. She had been crying so hard they couldn't understand anything beyond their names, the what, and the why.

"Mrs. Wheeler, you have to calm down. You can't let Joey see you like this." Sam didn't know how, but he was sure Joey would use her already broken spirit and break it farther.

"You're right. Besides, I've had six years to prepare myself. I just didn't... I didn't..." it seemed no sooner did she gain control she was ready to loose it again, then to Sam's relief, she kicked herself back, "Would you two go in with me?"

"Uh, well, Mrs. Wheeler, ya see..." Tristan got a nervous twitch, which didn't seem to be helping her nerves.

"I'll go in with you." Sam quickly offered, though knowing full well he had to anyway.

"It's not that I don't want to, or can't, I just think..." the taller friend was becoming defensive. She assured him it was all right, she understood. She took them both by the arms and led them in.

They made their way past a few doors when one with a man sleeping off a few stitches caught her eye. She loosened her grip on the boys and stormed into the room.

"What the..." Sam slowly followed and peeked in. She was standing over the man when Sam watched as her fist came up and like a bullet slammed into his face.

"Bastard!!" shot through the E.R. and the man awoke to find himself being pummled by the small woman. 

"Whoa! Mrs. Wheeler!" Tristan ran in, grabbed her and tried with all his might to hold her back. She was strong for a woman her size, or just overly motivated to do serious harm.

"The hell is the matter with you woman?!" he sat up and rubbed his face, "Damn, I just had this fixed!"

_So, my guess Sam is this is..._

_Very good guess, Yami._ Suddenly Sam felt a strange chill through his body. It was like nothing he had ever felt, so decided it was best to get out of there quickly. He tried to back out, when one of the doctors stopped him.

"What's going on here?" he demanded, grabbing up more equipment to close the reopened wounds to his patient's face.

"This... this _man_ just put his own son three floors up..." she had finally calmed down enough to notice his bandaged face. She had been so enraged at the sight of him before, she hadn't noticed. "Joey did that to you, didn't he? He fought back!"

"You're nuts!" he was becoming nervous and tried to reassure the doctor of the story he had alreay told, "It's like I said, I was in a bar fight. And what are you going on about? The boy is..." he looked over to notice the doctor shaking his head in disbelief. "What? You wanna tell me something?"

"Yes. The guys who picked up your son put two and two together. Give it up, there's cops on the..."

"What?!"

"Ha! Gas him!" Tristan was still having to hold her back. The look on his face told Sam this was not like her at all. She finally broke free and calmly walked to her ex-husband's side. Standing firm, arms crossed, "You begged me to leave him with you. 'Don't take my son!', you even cried, you..." Sam stopped her. She was going to need this strength to face Joey, it was a waste to use it all on this guy. "You're right. Guess I'm ready to face Joseph now, huh?"

"You did fine here." Sam said, keeping her spirits up. He took her by the arm again to accompany her out of the room. As they left the room, so did the strange chill. Tristan couldn't help one last poke at the jerk who had hurt his friend. The doctor kept a close eye on him as he shook his fist in the man's face, flipped the middle finger at his nose, and began backing out of the room. A sinister smile crossed his face as he kept his finger up all the way out the door.

_Damn, that felt great!_ he thought as he attempted to keep up with Mrs. Wheeler and 'Yugi' who were already more than half way down the hall.

  
~~~~~*~~~~~   


They stood outside the door to the room, Mrs. Wheeler's hand inches from the knob.

"I-I can't do it..."

"I'll be with you. It's all right..." Sam was ready to open the door himself when Mrs. Wheeler was startled by a trapping on her shoulder.

"Are you Joseph Wheeler's mother? I got a call saying you'd be up..."

"Yes, yes, how...?"

"He's waking up. A little confused, but doing well. You can go in."

"Thank you, but I'd like Yugi here to go in with me..."

"That's fine. I'm sure he'd be happy to see you both." he walked away, unaware of the impact of what he had just said.

"Happy to see..." she whispered.

"It's ok, I have an idea." Sam snuck in first. There was a curtain, _Perfect._

_What are you going to do?_

_She's affraid of how he may react to seeing her first and frankly so am I. I'm going to hide her behind the curtain, get him to stay calm and come clean..._

_Are you sure hiding her is a good idea?_

_No, but then I haven't been too sure of a lot of things lately._ He snuck her in, then quietly snuck around himself. The sight was unbearable; Joey was lying flat on his back, arms in the air, all bandaged and bruised. His face was no better either. He was just staring at his arms, almost as if trying to make sense of what had just happened to himself. Sam's shoe made a slight sqeek causing Joey to quickly turn his attention in the direction of the noise, though still keeping his arms up. He then started to smile.

"Hey, Yug! Check me out! I could be one of Yami's guys, huh?!" he began to laugh. If there were ever anyone who could make anything so difficult, this kid won the prize. Sam's stomach started turning again.

_Ugh...!_ Yami, on the other hand, was just disgusted by the joke.

_Wait! What? One of Yami's guys? What does he mean?_ it was Sam's turn to be confused.

_I am, or was, a Pharaoh..._

_You what?! So, you were one of the two 'jokers'...?!_

_One of the two what?!_

_I mean you were one of the two trying to... why didn't you tell me?!_

_Again, it didn't seem important._

_Well, it quite possibly **could** be!_

"Yug? I take it Yami didn't find it too funny..."

"No, I guess not." he snapped.

"Sorry, there, Yami. I'm still a little out of it..."

"Hey, Sam! You'll never guess..." Al had popped in at just the wrong moment. Again.

"I know..."

"You know what, Yug? Yami still angry with the..."

"No, I just...I undertand you are still out of it, you took quite a...", _Ah, don't say beating!_, "Yea..." he rubbed his face in fustration, _Yami, I have a feeling had I been here to help you save the world I could have had this leap done in an hour._

_Joey can make things difficult..._

_So can Al._, "So, Joey, what do you think... I mean..."

"I dunno. One minute I'm blacking out, the next I wake up in the hospital."

"That all you remember? Or is that all you _want_ to remember?"

"Hey, Sam, chill out..." Al warned. Sam raised his hand to shut him up. Joey flinched.

"You thought I was going to hit you, didn't..."

"Shut up! I told you to..." his voice trailed off. There was no hiding it now, "You said you'd drop it..."

"I said I'd drop the money..."

"Ha! Yea, way to drop it in my pocket. Gotta admit, that was a nice move."

"Thanks, but I also said I wouldn't drop you talking to your mother..."

"And I told you I got nothin' ta say ta her." The words stung Mrs. Wheeler all over and she quietly winced, trying to keep 'Yugi's' advice to strong. "He wasn't always like this. At least not ta me and Serenity..."

"You knew he was hurting your mom?" Again, Mrs. Wheeler winced. She didn't know how much more she could take.

"We knew they fought..." his voice began to crack, the familiar sound of the boy starting to cry. His mother, wanting to hold him and tell him it was all right, though it was killing her, stayed well hid. Her promise to stay strong wearing thin. "When she left, it was me and him, all the way!" he was having a hard time speaking threw the tears. His mother was doubled over trying not to become ill. Sam snuck a peek in on her as Joey rubbed his eyes. He was begining to believe Yami may have been right about it not being a good idea to hide her, but then had she been the first thing he laid eyes on he'd have shut down right away. He was so busy feeling badly about Mrs. Wheeler, he didn't notice Joey staring at him.

"What ya starin' at back there, Yug?"

"Uh, nothing..."

"What happened to your knees?" Sam looked down and flinched. They were stained with blood. How to explain this one? Tell the truth.

"I found you... or actually, Tristan found you, but..."

"How?!"

"The puzzle..." Sam had remembered what the spirit had told him about helping before.

"Right..." he was still crying, having a terrible time trying to calm down.

_You may have been right about helping me save the world. I don't know how much more..._

_You're doing fine! Don't leave me now!_, "So what do you think happened? I mean..."

"Not too long after _she_ left, I got home from school early and he was there. I was excited to see him, so I ran up to hug him, but he pushed me away. He smelled funny, course it wasn't till later I found out it was booze, and he had smelled of it before, so I didn't think anything of it and tried again only that time instead of just pushing me, he slapped me! And he's been slapping me ever since!" he turned away and covered himself with the blankets. Sam was ready to toss _his_ cookies. He snuck another look in on mom. She had her face cupped in her hands, still doubled over and quietly sobbing. Her strength was gone.

_Damn! What do I do now?!_

"Sam, you all right?" he had forgotten Al was still there. He nodded and slid behind the curtain, hugging Mrs. Wheeler, quietly reassuring her.

"I'm so sorry, Mrs. Wheeler." he whispered.

"It's all right, Yugi. I would have heard about this sooner or later. Better sooner, don't you think?" She looked into 'Yugi's' eyes and smiled. She was going to be fine. Her little boy's life is safe now.

"Yugi?! Where'd you go?!" Joey called out. His tone of voice was that of a child who did not want to be left alone.

"I'm here. I thought you maybe wanted a minute to calm down."

"Yugi, what am I ganna do now? I don't want to be bounced around by some 'case worker social' dork and I ain't livin' on the streets again..."

"Again?!" enough was enough. It was time. She rushed to his bedside.

"What the hell is she doin' here?! Yugi?!"

"Joseph, honey, please! I am so sorry! I never thought he would hurt you, believe me..."

"Shut up!" he snapped.

"Joey! Come on! This is your mother! And she didn't know, how could she?! You wouldn't speak..."

"Stay outta this, Yug!" suddenly Joey's eyes narrowed, and a cold, frightening smirk lined his face, "Ya know, Yug, you may have been right..."

"Really? About wha..."

"Maybe I do have somethin' ta say ta her." In his next breath he began a verbal assault that could have shattered glass. Sam and Al watched Mrs. Wheeler in disbelief, she was taking it. She stood tall just as she had when she let Mr. Wheeler have it. She used the six years wisely, but then, so did Joey. Even Al couldn't believe what he was hearing. In all his years in the NAVY he thought he had heard everything. He was wrong. Poor Yami was left completely in the dark, Sam couldn't move or speak.

Joey finally let up and took a breath. He had either run out, or that was all he had to say. He turned away again and covered himself back up.

"Are you quite finished?" she asked sternly.

"Yea, you can go now..."

"Oh, no, young man! I'm not going anywhere..."

"Mrs. Wheeler, maybe I should..." Sam tried to back out the door.

"No, Yugi, you can stay..." she still wasn't ready to be left alone with Joey. No matter how strong she may have looked, she was shaken. This wasn't her little boy anymore.

"No!" Joey yelled, "You can both go! I said all I needed to..."

"I haven't!" she leaned on the bed, inches from his ear, "You will not be bounced around and you will never, EVER, live on the streets! You are coming home with me..."

"The hell I am." he said weakly.

"I've already sent for your things." it was a blatant lie, but she figured if his things were gone, maybe he'd feel he had no choice.

"Well aren't they ganna be disappointed when they get there and find there ain't things to be sent for?"

"What are you..." she followed his line of sight. He was eyeing his jacket, "I see..."

"Hey! Mind your own business! Get outta there!" he warned, as if there were anything he could have done. The jerk didn't stop at his upper body, he had to go and disable him from the knees down as well.

"So, this is all you have?" she ruffled through his pocket; his wallet and dueling deck. "These are the cards you used to..."

"Ya don't have ta pretend ta care..."

"I'm not..." she started to lay the jacket down when she noticed it still had a little weight to it. "Now what's this?"

"I'm tellin' ya!! Get outta there!!" he screamed.

"What are you doing with this?!" she slowly pulled out the item; a small half full flask, "Joseph?!" she looked to 'Yugi' for any possible _honest_ answer.

_I don't know Sam, and I can guarantee Yugi doesn't either._

"I don't know, Mrs. Wheeler, I'm sor..." He noticed Al punching a few things into Ziggy.

"As I would have guessed, Sam... for the pain..."

"It doesn't matter. He won't be needing it anymore." she threw it into the hazardous waste basket. Joey burst and pitched a fit. "Go ahead! Be upset all you want." it was just like when he was little, well almost; the verbal abuse was a bit intense, and as for his next trick, though weak, stung as well.

"Bitch..." Sam just stood by and watched. It was all he could do at this point; _she_ was breaking _him_.

"Call me what you will, you're still coming to live with me..."

"No! He'll come back! We'll be fine!" the statement shocked the room cold. He truly believed his father would just get better. He wanted the man back. "He'll come back! He will..." he was tiring, wearing himself out with all the anger. It must have been refreshing to let it all out. Knowing from experience six, well in Sam's case five, years was a long time to hold things in. Especially for a kid.

"No, Joseph, he won't. He's too far gone... he's been too far gone, I should have seen this coming, but he loved you kids so much..."

"Why didn't you take me in the first place? You want me so bad, why did you just leave me? He did this to you, what made you think it wouldn't have happened to me?"

"I tried. He begged me not to take you... I was blind. I thought all I was was his punching bag, I didn't realize I was also a shield." She was ready to loose her cool again. She looked to Sam, who tried his best to keep a smile to at least let her know she was fine. "I honestly thought the worst he had ever done to you kids was send you to your rooms..."

"It was. Till you left..."

"Oh, no. I heard every word..." she stopped and gulped. Even the thought of what he had confessed to 'Yugi' hurt, "...something else triggered this and it wasn't just me..."

"He lost his job, ok?!" he buried himself deeper into the blankets. "He'll find another, and he'll, WE'LL be fine!"

"I'm sorry you feel this way, but he's going to jail... he tried to kill you!"

"I won't press charges..."

"You have no choice. _I_ will. _You_ are only fifteen." she gently placed her hand on his shoulder. For a split second he flinched, then seemed to melt into the bed. He welcomed the soft touch. "No one is going to hurt you anymore." she said softly.

"Wow, Sam! You won't beleive this! As soon as she touched him, everything went to one-hundred percent! He does great!" Sam pulled the old 'scratching the chin with his shoulder' routine in Al's direction. "Get this; he brings up his grades, goes to college and, this is good, becomes a 'psyco-doc'!" Sam rolled his eyes. "A child psychologist if that sounds better..." he corrected himself, "Helps a lot of kids in situations similar to his!"

_Thank you, Sam! You saved a dear friend's life!_

_Believe it or not, Yami, it's news like that that makes all this worth while._

_You still want to go home though, don't you?_

_Very much._

"HA! Sam! Listen to this one..." Al didn't seem to believe what he was reading, he kept slapping Ziggy, "He and Mai get hitched!"

_Hitched?_ Yet another phrase Sam was going to have to explain.

_Geez, Thanks Al!_

_...?_

_Sorry Yami, but I think I know why I haven't leaped yet..._

_You should have?_

_As soon as everything reads one-hundred percent, I should be gone..._

_Me?_

_Only one way to find out._ he scratched and tapped at his chest. Al wasn't sure what to make of it.

"What? Itch? Heartburn?" Sam tapped harder, Al tried again, "Cough? Sam this is the worst game of..." Sam pointed to the floor, then back to his chest. "Oh! Why are you still here!" Sam quickly scratched the tip of his nose, "AH! Yami! That fifty-one percent! Wait..." Al tapped more into Ziggy, "Oh, boy..."

"Oh, boy?" Sam didn't realize he had said it out loud till Mrs. Wheeler looked up.

"Are you ok, Yugi?" she had turned her gaze back to her son, brushing her fingers through his thick hair.

"I'll be fine. You?"

"Fine. He's fallinig asleep. Thank you, Yugi. Tristan too, though I wonder... I always thought Tristan kept me so well informed, why would he..."

"He didn't know. None of us did or we _would_ have told you. I promise."

"That girl, Mai, you don't think she knew, do you?" Sam hadn't thought about that. He had never had the opportunity to ask, but then even if he did, would she have been truthful was the question.

"Honestly, Mrs. Wheeler, I don't know. It's not like it's something any of us would have thought to ask her." he tried to be as gentle with his words as possible. He didn't want to come across 'smart-aleckly'. She looked up again and smiled.

"He's asleep. It's just like when he was little." she pulled the covers up more to cover his shoulders. "He was such a handfull, yet I still always felt horrible about punishing him. I always ended up sitting by his bedside till he cried himself to sleep. His father used to raise hell, 'You're going to turn that boy into a...', I didn't care, he and Serenity were, are, my babies."

"Mrs. Wheeler..." he wanted to sympathize, but he wasn't even sure if he had kids of his own. His memory was so full of holes, he couldn't fathom his own childhood. Then again, how could a fourteen year old sympathize with this? He decided to give up, and tried again to leave the reunited family alone.

"I'm sorry, Yugi. You really... I guess I just needed to unload, I'm sorry it was on you..."

"It's all right."

"Would you do me one last favor, please?"

"Of course..."

"I'm going to stay with him. Would you have Tristan call Serenity, just make sure he doesn't tell her _too_ much. She really doesn't need to know."

"Sure thing.", _Now maybe we'll find out what Al's 'Oh boy.' meant!_ he backed out of the room and quietly shut the door. He rested his forehead against the door frame and sighed a huge relief when all of the sudden he was caught around the neck by a pair of sweet smelling, slender arms.

"Yugi will believe me! Won't you, Yugi?!"

_NOW WHAT?!_

  
tbc...   
------------  
Like I said... GOMEN NASAI! I hope I didn't let you all down! Especially Cyberkat and Angel-Belle! *bows*   



	8. Part 8

Gomen nasai! I had THE WORST case of writer's block!! This is terrible! I'm not too proud of this part, so If I let anyone down, I do apologize! *bows* I did a thorough spell check, btw! I'm so looking forward to getting this one finished though... I have a story in my head that's been driving me nuts for weeks, but I refuse to start it until I finish this one! Ak!

  
----------   


"What's going on?!" Sam wriggled from the grip, "Tristan?! What are they doing here?!" Tristan slumped on the bench, a horribly guilty look in his eyes. Tea was next to him, face in hands quietly sobbing. Mai stepped back and fell to her knees. Sam couldn't take it. These kids didn't need this, especially Mai who just kept mumbling her innocents about not knowing. Sam kept Tristan nailed to the bench with his stare while at the same time trying to calm Mai down.

"Mai, I believe you. I know Joey, he cares too much to bring anyone into this, especially you."

"If it helps, I believe you too..." Tea offered.

"I don't..." Tristan snapped only to find his arm being introduced to a sharp fist. "Ow! Tea! What was..."

"So there are rumors going around, big deal! That's all they are are _just_ rumors! You know Joey..."

"That's just it, I know Joey! He has this beautiful girl..."

"Beau... ti... fu..." Mai blushed and hid her face in 'Yugi's' chest.

"As I was saying, when have you ever known _Joey_ to..."

"That's enough, Tristan Taylor!" Mai screeched, ignoring the angry glares from the doctors and nurses. "The farthest Joey and I have ever gone, _you all_ have seen! He's _never_ tried anything with me beyond that! You obviously don't know him as well as you say! He's good to me! Better than anyone else who _were_ only after..." Tea grabbed her friend and hugged her tight.

"It's ok, Mai. Really, it's ok." she comforted. Between the glare from 'Yugi' and the one Tea was giving him now, Tristan could literally _feel_ the nails holding him to the bench.

Sam was about to burst a vessel. He was never going to leap if he couldn't get away to find out why Yami had stuck around. As much as he grew to like everyone, it was time to go. He marched over, grabbed Tristan by the ear and dragged him around the corner. It must have been a sight; even at a time like this, the girls couldn't help a slight giggle. Even Yami seemed amused.

  
  


"Yug! What was that...?"

"What are they doing here?!" Sam demanded. From the look on Tristan's face, it obviously wasn't very 'Yugi-like'.

"Why not? They're his friends too!"

"You wanted a shot at Mai, didn't you?"

"What?! No! Not really... it's just, we're bad liars! We get to school, and Joey, having never missed a day since starting high school is out, they ask why and we tell them what?" Sam hated to admit it, Tristan had a point, but it didn't excuse how he was treating Mai.

"So they would be a little worried. We tell them he's sick..."

"We'd crack and you know it."

"Fine, you have a point. But what makes you think Mai would have kept this... wait a minute! Before we left, you ran back for his coat..."

"Soooo..." Tristan started to squirm.

"You knew, didn't you? You knew he would be looking for it and why. You also thought since he and Mai are so "close" she should know and it would take the heat off..."

"Yea, ok, I knew! His mom asks about him all the time! I-I couldn't..." He threw his hands up in the air as if to surrender. "I couldn't tell, she and Serenity were always so proud of..."

"Proud of what you lied to them about."

"I didn't lie about _everything_ and he made me promise, I mean big time promise..."

"His father could have killed him you know..."

"You know Yug, so long as we're on this, I met his dad once, sort of anyway. He seemed all right. I always thought, well, you know Joey, he tends to exaggerate. When I met him, he seemed pretty calm about things, Joey didn't though..."

"About what?"

"Man, Joey was ghost white and shaking. I was no better off, but I was more worried about how long I was ganna be grounded for, I had no idea Joey..." Tristan stopped to take a breath. The vision of his frightened friend ran through him. It gave him the chills.

"What happened?" Sam asked softly. A little more 'Yugi-like' this time. 

"Well, not too long before we met you, we got caught shop-lifting and hauld in by the cops. They called our parents and everything. Joey was a wreck. He couldn't talk or anything, he just kept shaking and crying. He wouldn't, or couldn't, tell me why."

"What happened when his dad got there?"

"Nothing, really. Well, he was a little scary, but then so was _my_ dad. I mean, they were angry what else could we have expected?"

"Right..." Sam was having a hard time with this. How to convince Tristan to come clean and apologize to Mai was going to have him stuck there for months, he could feel it. Unfortunately, so could Yami. The spirit was beginning to believe he would never see his other-self again. "I'm sorry Tristan, but you're going to have to tell Mrs. Wheeler..."

"I know. I feel horrible, Yugi! She's ganna hate me, I'll never see Serenity again...oh man!! Serenity will never..."

"Calm down, you said he made you promise, right?"

"You think that's going to make it ok with them?"

"It might. A promise is a promise..." Sam knew better than this. _This_ kind of promise wasn't going to fly, but then neither was he if he couldn't get away to find out what Al was going on about. "It's like you said, you met his dad, you thought Joey was just exaggerating. Just be as calm and honest as possible with Mrs. Wheeler and remember, she doesn't want Serenity to know. Oh, damn! She wants you to call her..."

"Oh, no... what do I say to her?"

"Well, unfortunately, you can't be honest, you have to come up with something..."

"An accident on the bike..." Al offered, "It would be believable enough for me!"

"You had a small crash on the bike. Joey took most of the brunt..."

"All right, Yug. I'm sorry, I hope you know that. And I hope you can forgive me..."

"He made you promise not to say anything and you thought he was exaggerating anyway, so really, I can't blame you for anything."

"Think Mrs. Wheeler will go for that?"

"I think so." Sam started to walk away as Tristan began to call Serenity with the news, Al directing him to a deserted bathroom with a working lock.

  
  


"Ok, Al, make this good!"

_He knows for sure this time why I am here?_

_So he says!_, "Well, Al! The suspense is killing us..."

"Ok! The moment you have been waiting for..." He started to push a button on Ziggy, then stopped, "But first, you, Sam!"

"Me?! What?!"

"You have been _snippish_..."

"Snippish?! Al?! What's this..."

"You know you have a tendency to absorb personalities? Remember?"

"Well, uh, no! Of course not!"

"Right, of course not! Uh, let's see... Jimmy! You told me to never let you forget Jimmy!"

_What is he talking about, Sam? Why is he..._

_I don't know, but he thinks he has a point and when he has a captive audience he just keeps going..._

_So we have no choice then?_

_Nope._, "Jimmy was the... the uh... mentally challenged kid! Right!"

"Bingo! Man we thought we were goners there! Oh! And the kid who was so in love with his bride to be..."

"I thought _I_ was in love with her! I do remember! So what does this have to do with... oh, boy!"

"I think we have a winner! Your snapping at Joey, you know, he wasn't kidding when he asked if you were going..."

"_Bakura_ because I was! I absorbed..."

"I can tell ya it's not Yugi's! Tina and Verbeena are eating the kid up! He could rot your teeth! You my friend absorbed Yami's! When Joey was about to hit you, you could have taken him on! Know why you didn't?"

"Yami wouldn't. I snapped at him because Yami was getting impatient... oh, boy Al! That explains...", _If that doctor hadn't come in when he did, you would have had me kill Mr. Wheeler!_, "That's what that strange feeling was!"

_I might have, Sam. He could have killed my friend..._

"What strange feeling?"

"When we met Joey's dad, I got this odd chill and I... or Yami was ready to kill him!"

"Consider this, he's five thousand years old, his sense of justice is a little out dated for the twentieth century."

"Right, so what, he stuck around so we can curb his sense of justice?"

"Well, no. Actually Sam, he didn't stick around because _he_ needed help..."

"Who then?" Sam wondered. Al went silent. Sam hated when he did this. Al stepped back and waved his cigar.

"Come on out, Yami!" Al called.

"Come out?! What are you..." Sam could feel a slight weight lift from his body and a slim foreboding figure standing next to Al. It was the first time Sam himself was able to actually _see_ this other Yugi. He didn't know how to before. To him everything was just darkness. _No wonder Al was so intimidated!_ His eyes had a piercing, stern stare. "Wow." Sam felt a bit childish with this reaction, but it was all he could get out.

"So how did you know I could do this?" Yami asked.

"Well, I'll admit, I'm a coward. Every time Yugi asked about Joey, I changed the subject. So, would you like to know why I asked you both here?"

"Wow." was still all Sam could say.

"I'll take that as a 'Sure, Al! Of course!'"

"From out here, you look just like Yugi." Yami seemed to be softening up.

"So, in there, Sam looks like Sam? This is pretty cool!" Al noticed Sam shaking himself to his senses, usually meaning he was going to get upset with him for dragging things out, so he got right to the point, "Ok, Sam. Yami is here for _you_!"

"I am?! How?"

"Yea, Al, what is he... can he send me..."

"Home, Sam. He can send you home."

"I'm going _home_?! But, that does mean Tristan confesses and Mrs. Wheeler forgives him and Joey, well, we know Joey is ok..."

"You're babbling Sam!" Al laughed, "Yea, everything is fine! You can come home!"

"I-I don't know what to say! I... do you know how, Yami? I mean..."

"Are you ready?" The spirit readied himself as if to start casting a spell, Sam stopped him. "Something wrong?"

"I guess, I just... at first I was terrified this would stick with me, but now I hope it's one of the few leaps that does. You're all good kids, I mean despite why I was here, this was... I just hope I don't forget you."

"If you don't, you'll have to look us up. I would love for Yugi to meet you."

"Al, think you can remember that if I don't?"

"Sure sure! Now enough with the sap! Let's get you home before someone comes looking for Yugi!"

"Right! Yami, I'm ready to go home!" Sam braced himself for whatever Yami was going to have to do. The last thing he heard was a quick 'Goodbye...' and then nothing.

  
  
tbc...   
---------   
Next chapter, the epologe! Yay! It will NOT be as long as the other chapters I promise! That and I hope I didn't let anyone down! *bows*   



	9. Epilogue

Hey there! Writer's block is the worst, ne?! Anyway, I did start the other story I said I would wait on till I finished this one, but couldn't help myself O_o I'm not posting it here, it's on my website, and a little word of caution, it's shounen-ai.  
I am actually debating about posting it here, just for a while to get some real feed-back... not that the feed-back I've gotten all ready _isn't_... nevermind... on with the epilogue already!

  
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Sam began to stir, finding himself being surrounded by a blur of white lab coats, one running to his side. The wearer's face streaming with tears.

"Sam! Honey..."

"Hon...ey?" he repeated weakly, "What?"

"Must have been quite a trip." Al observed. He watched Sam try to motion to him and he chuckled, "Sam, you don't have to do that. You can talk to me..."

"What? Al? They... you?" Al joined the crying woman by Sam's bedside.

"You're home. Remember _anything_?"

"Well, no..." As he sat up, the woman began to calm down and embrace him. He returned the guesture and a wave of memories came crashing through him. The woman felt familiar and safe, "D-Donna? Donna!"

"He's back! He's really back! Can I keep him this time, Al? He doesn't have to leave again like the last time? He's home for good..."

"He's home for good this time, right Sam? Your leaping days are..."

"Done! I'm home! I'm married to a wonderful woman I can't believe I left in the first place... and a second place? I was home before?!"

"Uh, yea, Sam see you kinda lept into..." Al started, Verbeena cut him off.

"Let them enjoy their reunion, Al. Let's go." She said, leading him and all the other onlookers out.

"I'm so sorry, Donna. I really hope I didn't..."

"We went over that the first time. You did nothing wrong, the first or second time. By the way, Al said you may or may not remember something about this. He gave me these, said we should go..." She handed Sam a pair of colorful tickets. He looked them over curiously.

"King of Games Tournament 2004? What...?" he tried, but nothing was coming to him, "Al say anything else about these? Just that I "may or may not remember"? Sounds like Al." he sighed, "I have no id..."

"He said going may help. Said it should be fun. He's been to a few himself..."

"Going may help what? I just got home, these are for tomorrow..."

"Come on!" she pressed. Sam was begining to believe _she_ knew something.

"Alright. We'll go. But there's one thing I need to take care of before I do anyting else." he said as he took her in his arms.

"And what could that possibly be?"

"Well, I think there are a _few_ things I remember..." he said taking her closer.

"Oh... OH!"

  


Sam and Donna met Al and Tina outside the stadium. Sam watched the curious crew of people scrambling in and out.

"Remember a trip to Egypt, Sam?" Donna asked.

"Vaugly."

"These cards are based on inscriptions found by a man named Maxamillian Pegasus..." Al said, waving his cigar around. If there was one smell Sam didn't miss, but it did made it real.

"Yes! How anyone could forget a name like that!", Sam laughed. "So there are tournaments for these things now, huh?" .

"There have been for a while... oh, right, you haven't been... " Tina corrected herself.

"Sam, did you look at the seating on your ticket?" Al asked.

"Not really, why...?" he looked over the ticket again, "Floor? We're sitting on the _floor_?"

"No, no! We were invited! We have special sideline seating..."

"Invited? By who? Why?"

"You wouldn't believe me in five thousand years, Sam." Al mused, "Let's go! I told them we'd try and get here early..."

"Who?!"

  


After haggling with a security guard, Sam, Al and the girls made their way through.

"What is _this_..." Sam scanned the huge arena. On the floor were two huge podiums, or so they seemed like podiums, on either side of the court. Between them was a grid with several projectors on either side. "They play this card game with _this_?!"

"Yea, Sam, it's incredible! This kid, Seto Kaiba..."

"Please, Tina, I don't need any reminders of that kid!" Al remembered very well the way he treated their "patient" durring the leap. He gave Al the creeps.

"Sorry, Al-baby!"

"Besides, Tina, don't spoil it for him! He's never been to anything like this!" So Donna _did_ know what was going on!

"Al! Over here!" they all looked over to the caller; a young man, late teens, early twenties, decked out in tight black clothing, leather and chains.

"Al..." Sam whispered, "... you know this kid?"

"Kid?! This _kid_..."

"Come on, Al! Don't spoil it!" Donna warned again.

They made their way over to the young man. He and Al shaking hands and exchanging friendly smiles. Sam knew Al knew some interesting people, but this one, he didn't know what to think.

"Sam, this is Yami." Al introduced.

"Y-yami? "Darkness" in Japanese, right?" He reluctantly took his hand, "Nice to meet you..." he added softly.

"Nice to finally, truely, meet you, Sam. And you're right, "darkness". See, my host..."

"Uh, Yami! Icsne... not yet, not yet!" Al cut Yami off, he didn't think Sam was ready for the full story just yet.

"Welcome, everyone!" came a voice over the speakers sending Al into a near fetal position, covering his ears and closing his eyes.

"Al! Get up! What's wrong..." Sam started, then as the announcer continuted to introduce himself, Sam finally understood.

"I'm Seto Kaiba, your host this evening..."

"Isn't he cute?!" Tina seemed like she was ready to pinch his cheeks. Al on the other hand, as hard as he tried not to, could still hear everything and poked her in the ribs, "Oh! Sorry again, baby!"

"Al had a run-in with him durring your leap..." Yami offered.

"How is that possible?! And how do _you_ know anything about leaping?!" Al and Yami ignored the questions, neither sure how to explain. Yami was anxious to explain other things and get to know the man who saved his best friend's life.

"Hey, Yug! How's it goin' there?! Who's your friends?" This young man seemed a little more approachable to Sam than the deep voiced punk; this one was in khaki pants and a dark blue button-down shirt. No chains, no leather. The one thing that did catch his eye; a huge scar from his ear to the middle of cheek.

_Same **gang** at one time, perhaps?_ Sam felt horrible for thinking the way he was; of all the things he should have learned durring his leaping, it was to never judge a book...

"This is Jo... oh..." Al was ready to introduce them, forgetting Joey wouldn't know anything about him.

"Huh?! You know me, huh?"

"Joey, _please_ don't!" Yami begged.

"I'm not! Hey, you dulin' in this one?"

"Of course! You?"

"Nah, I just came at the off chance I'd run inta ya. I was just in town on the lecture circut..."

"You _lecture_?!" Sam spoke up. He couldn't imagine this kid being much of a speaker with his grammer. Donna elbowed him, seemingly embarassed.

"Uh, yea... sorry for not introducing myself. Joey Wheeler. I'm a friend of your friend's here from back in high school."

"A very good friend. I'm just sorry we haven't been able to keep in touch." Yami said solemnly.

"Yea, me too... I'm actually expected at the high school up the road for a lecture, sorry I can't stay..."

"It's all right. It was good seeing you again." they hugged their good byes, and he shook everyone hands and left. Sam couldn't help notice the hurt in Yami's eyes.

"Really good friends, huh?"

"We went through a lot together..."

"What does he lecture on, anyway?"

"Abuse." Al answered.

"Ab... so that scar...?"

"Belt buckle... CRACK!" Al's emphisis caused Sam and Yami to flinch.

"Is he one of my leaps? Was I _him_?!" this was the part Al couldn't wait to get to. He nudged Yami's arm and they both nodded in agreement.

"No, Sam... you were _me_."

"You?! But I thought people didn't remember me being..."

"Settle down Sam, this is the good part! You weren't really _Yami_..."

"What the hell is going on?! Someone answer me straight please!" Sam didn't realize he had yelled quite as loud as he did, concidering all the background noise of people setting up, and an announcer. He looked around and noticed everything had stopped, and all eyes were on him, "Uh, sorry! Very sorry..." he said as he slumped into his seat, "Please!" he quietly exclaimed.

"You remember _this_?" Yami had a huge, what seemd to Sam a keychain, dangling from one of the chains on his belt.

"This is huge! You just carry this around...?"

"Usually I wear it around my neck. I have to. Al said I should try and find a way to hide it to "spring" it on you later."

Sam continued to examine it; light weight, yet pure gold. On closer inspection, Sam could tell this was very old and in many pieces, like it had been broken, or was a puzzle of some sort. Inscribe on the front was, "The Eye of Horus! This is incredible! It must be at least three-thousand years old..."

"Five or six-thousand... give or take a few..." Yami corrected.

"Where did you get this?! _How_ did you get this?!"

"Yugi's grandfather..."

"Who's Yug..." As Sam said the name, it had dawned on him; Joey called Yami "Yug"... _Yugi?_

"Remember Yami here about to tell you about a "host"?"

"Yea, so, I assumed Yami is from Japan, and he lives with a..."

"Yami is Egyptian and lives _in_ a host..." again, Sam lost it; it took Yami _and_ Al to pull him back into seat, "You lept into Yugi to save Joey's life! Only problem was, Yami lives, so to speak, in this puzzle! The puzzle didn't leap with Yugi, so Yami here, the spirit of a Pharaoh traped in the puzzle, stayed! You shared double duty with him!"

"Al, what have you been packing into your cigars?! This is _nuts_..."

"This is _true_. You saved Joey's life..."

"_That_ isn't nuts! That's what I was leaping for; put right what was wrong..."

"... with my help." Yami finished.

"_That's_ nuts! Prove it! I'm a scientist! I can take it!"

"Prove you can take it first, Sam... you're loosing your cool! You lept into peoples' lives and bodies and you're going to sit there and tell us _we're_ nuts!?" Al scolded. 

Sam calmed down enough to think it through. He tried to go back in his mind to his trip to Egypt; the carvings- stories of monsters plaguing the earth. People using the monster to do their bidding..._Ancient bed time stories!_, he remembered thinking to himself. One carving in particular seemed to have everyone scrambling; a Pharaoh with no name. He searched and searched for the image, somewhere in his brain; carvings of a balance and scales, a ring... it was coming to him now... the puzzle! A pyramid shaped puzzle above the head of the unkown great...

"Pharaoh! I can see it! The carving! You! And there was a mage, uh no, a priest! He was battling _you_..." Sam searched the arena again. What were the odds this priest had reincarnated as well?

He set his sights on the host sitting just across the floor from them, eyeing "Yami/Yugi".

"Him! It's him!" he tried not to make another scene, but the discovery of a lifetime was right under his nose.

"The creep?!"

"He doesn't believe it Sam. He believes nothing. He was shown the carvings, but he was convinced they were a cruel hoax. He and Yugi have been rivals since high school, so he chalked it up to just that."

"Amazing!"

"Would you like to meet Yugi?"

"Uh, no Yami, I don't think _that_ would be a good idea, concidering it was _Yugi_ he lept into..."

"I understand."

"Hey, I got to meet someone I saved!" Sam exclaimed as he came back down to earth.

"This just _now_ coming to you?!"

"I couldn't have done a very good job of protecting him if..." he made slashing motion across his cheek, not wanting to say out lout what he was thinking.

"You did a fine job, Sam. Joey is very stubborn, and did irritate you a great deal, believe me, I could feel it, but you did it."

"What did I do exactly?"

"Just know you saved an important life." Al cringed at his own corniness, but it was true, "This lecture thing he does and the fact he's going to school to be a shrink, he saves a lot of kids in situations like his..."

"Abused..." Sam said coldly, "How could anyone..."

"Round four!" came over the p.a., "Yugi Mouto versus Mai Wheeler! Take your places!"

"That's me, Sam. It was nice getting to meet you..."

"It was great to meet you! We are going to have to get together again! You, _you_, are an archeaological treasure!"

"Maybe." he didn't seem too receptive to the idea of being studied.

"Oh, Yami, wait!" Al called, "We forgot to tell him the important part!"

"Important part?" As if any of it _wasn't_ important.

"Yami sent you home!"

"...?!"

They watched the two- Al a little more closely to this Mai Wheeler- take their places. They were friendlier to eachother than the other players had been.

"Hey, Al... that Joey, his last name is..."

"Yea, Sam..." Al said glumly, "I said it before and I'll say it again; what a waste!"

  
----   
My gaw! Done! Done! I know, you all hated it, I've been letting a lot of people down these last couple of parts, but ya know, it just feels good to have it done!   
Arigatou! Ja ne! 


End file.
